In Search of Something Great and Noble
by idreamedofstardust
Summary: In which Donna gets her memory back, attempts halfheartedly to get back at the Doctor, and then gets into a really big predicament involving...ahem, well let the insanity ensue!
1. Prologue

**I've got a lot to mention and it is vital that if you want to start reading this story, you've got to read these statements first. **

**1)I've never written a DW story before so this will be an experience for both you and I. But I love the series, more than I ever expected to so I hope - despite the insane situations occurring within this story - that I do the characters and story justice in a way.**

**2)I discovered DW a few months ago and fell in love. I've always wanted to write something for DW fanfiction but I never got the guts to because I thought I'd butcher the characterizations. But then I watched Season 4 and was introduced to Donna Noble and she is probably one of my favorite characters of all time. Last night I watched The End of Time and was so happy that Donna was in it, but incredibly frustrated at the small role she played. I mean she was passed out the whole time. Actually, I'm frustrated at the DW writers for just having the Doctor erase her mind at the end of Season 4. Just like she wasn't even a character that mattered. Yes, yes I know that the Doctor had to but it feels like Donna progressed as a person, as a human being through her experiences with the Doctor and just to have her do a complete 360 back to where she started, well that is incredibly upsetting.**

**3)Certain things will be altered and I can't guarantee that I'll always have an explanation for them. For example, the Doctor never regenerated after the events of the End of Time so he is still the 10th Doctor we all know and love. Also, this all is happening a few years after the events of the End of Time and certain characters you may have thought are dead, might actually still be alive. And vice versa.**

**4)This will be a very crazy, at times unrealistic, and odd story. I might soften certain characters up or make others cold and rigid...just like the Doctor...again...not his fault. But I do hope you enjoy because if you stay with it, I guarantee you are in for a very wild ride. Thank you.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

On a dark and luminescent London night, a woman stumbled semi drunkenly through a haze of a light fog that had overtaken the city about an hour ago. She was not overly drunk or drunk beyond measure but the hiccups that vibrated inside her esophagus and the gray pavement that seemed to start zig zagging before her eyes, definitely made her aware that she wasn't entirely conditioned to be behind the wheel of a car.

"Can't BELIEVE Stacy left without me," the woman muttered with a thick, clipped London accent, through her stubborn marble teeth, heavy hiccups distorting the anger that would normally course into her voice. Still, she couldn't deny that she'd had a great time.

It was good, she admitted, to be out of the house from Shaun who'd been almost overbearing when he wanted to know what she planned on doing for a job.

"You can't just be a temp forever Donna. It's not going to work," her boyfriend had exclaimed.

In ways, he was right. Their income was such a mess that neither knew whether they would be able to even afford the wedding that her mother brought up whenever Shaun had dinner with them.

However, this woman being the woman that she was, wasn't going to hear any of it.

"You should have thought of that BEFORE you started a two year relationship with me, Shaun!"

That was the last argument they had before Donna picked up her jacket angrily, called her friends and met up at a London pub with them. A few good drinks would surely wipe out her raging mood.

About four margaritas and six shots of vodka later, Donna was letting loose with her friends, unaware of anything but the fags being smoked into small, decomposed cinders and hands of fellas wanting to get some, fondling any flesh that brushed past their eager fingers. Just the norm in pubs like this.

But this woman wasn't normal. Not really at least. And her journey is far from over. In fact, if you'd known Donna Noble and thought that her journey was done as soon as her memory was wiped clean by the Doctor, you were sorely mistaken. The journey she was to undertake in the next few days would change her life in a way equivalent to that of her first meeting the Doctor. And yet, it would do so much more.

So, as Donna finally stumbled the last few steps up to the Noble house, too worn out to travel all the way to Shaun's and her apartment, destiny began its strange course. In fact, it had already began as soon as she had entered the pub, but that is for later in the story.

Easily, Donna knelt down, slid the key from underneath the mat and shakily opened the door. Her mind had begun to dully ache and for some reason, she knew it wasn't from the alcohol. However, she wasn't unused to these pains that started whenever her mind wandered. Eventually, they would go away.

But, she could never describe the strange things that filtered themselves through her mind during these temporary migraines. Faces of strange creatures, planets with multiple moons, songs being sung about her. The strangest of all however, was probably the blue box and the tall, skinny, almost gawky man who controlled it. He had some of the most radiant smiles she'd ever known, that he'd throw at her or some of the most determined brown eyes that flashed whenever someone was in danger. Whenever she mentioned these things to her grandfather however, he'd merely shrug with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Easy Donna, easy," the woman mumbled to herself, her hands using the wall for support and she made her way down to her room.

Something was off about this migraine. For one, it didn't feel like a migraine. In fact, the images that she was used to seeing of creatures, planets, and the man with the blue box, began to filter in a much more clear and painless way. Secondly, she started to feel less in control of her whole body, not just her mind.

It was lucky that she had gotten next to her bed quickly because the next moment, she passed out flatly and soundlessly onto it.

Then suddenly, her mind began ejecting images of long forgotten memories rapidly. All of these memories were on a one way path to the center of her mind where a dream erupted into something like that of a slide show.

Creatures who previously remained nameless, morphed into familiar aliens called the Ood or the Hath. Planets suddenly had names as well as pieces of a journey once buried by the man who took her onto that journey, began to surface like a carnivorous shark.

If anyone was to observe the sleeping woman, they'd have noticed a golden mist appearing from within her forehead. Like a piece of loose string, the thin strap of gold rotated once around her head before sinking back into her mind.

This process went on for perhaps a half hour and within this half hour, everything that had previously remained lost or was wiped away from the Doctor's ancient hands, was abruptly making itself present into her unconscious mind.

And this is how Donna Noble's journey reignited. Without warning and perhaps the result of a miracle, her memories had returned full force without a single mark on her pale, sweating head that carelessly sunk into her soft manila pillow.

When the process ceased altogether and all of the memories were transplanted back into her mind with ease, Donna flipped lazily onto her side and finally began a very long sleep. A sleep that would be the only nonchaotic thing to happen in the house for the upcoming days to come.

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><p><strong>Just where am I going with this? Stick with me and you'll find out. Reviews aren't mandatory but I'd sure like to know whether I'm catching your interest or not. As always, thanks for reading.<strong>


	2. Donna's Head Hurts & Not From a Hangover

**If you haven't noticed, I'm being very anonymous to the story line. Unlike any other story I've written, this one I've actually got planned out with a time line of events but I'm divulging very little as to what will happen, who will appear and where romance will strike...damn, did I say romance? **

**Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Donna's Head Hurts &amp; It's Not From a Hangover<strong>

"Oh, bloody he-," Donna began, attempting to touch her forehead with her hand.

Instead, her hand plopped down like a ton of bricks were on top of it. Bouncing once, Donna denounced the useless limb and only stared through bleary blue eyes up at the ceiling.

Radiant yellow light peeked through the shutters of the window and submitted Donna into another impassioned shut of the eyes.

A triumphant grin spread across her face though. If she felt this bad, it must mean she had one hell of a night. Now only if she could get the Doctor to come out and join her-hold on a tic. The Doctor? Well, she hadn't seen the Doctor since-.

A sharp pain in her left temple silenced her thoughts.

Opening up her eyes and scrunching her forehead in concentration, a flash of her on the Tardis made its way beneath Donna's lids as she watched the Doctor walking with a grimace, towards her. His hands were outstretched and he kept repeating how sorry he was.

And then, her memory was gone.

He...he had...he had erased her mind.

Donna sprang up in her bed and attempted to focus despite the periodic pains that overtook her mind.

Inside her subconscious, she attempted to reach back through all of the memories again. Trying to pick out the right ones.

There was a planet she and the Doctor were exploring. A market on that planet. Then there was the strange woman who'd asked if she wanted her fortune read.

_Free for red heads my arse_, Donna thought sharply but instantly regretted it as another bout of pain rushed through her cranium.

And then there was the alternate universe and the Doctor's old companion, Rose. She had helped her get back to this time and warned them of the darkness that was coming.

Bad Wolf. Earth disappearing. Shadow Proclamation. Daleks. 27 planets. Almost dying in the Tardis and then touching the Doctor's hand in the jar and making another version of him. A _very_ naked version of him. Coming back and saving the Doctor through her borrowed intelligence from him. DoctorDonna. Meeting Sarah Jane, Rose, Martha (again), Mickey, Rose's mother, and Captain Jack. Oh especially Captain Jack.

The appreciative smile that enveloped her lips for the short time, soon crumbled as she remembered the Doctor after they'd dropped off Rose.

He knew even before they'd dropped Rose off. Even before she eagerly turned his way to ask him where they were going next. He knew what he was going to do to her.

"I was gonna travel with him forever...I was gonna-," Donna repeated to herself without really thinking, her left hand trembling as it ran itself through her messy red hair.

He just left her. Left her back to where she began. Left her as nothing but a temp from Cheswick. In a relationship with a man she tolerated. At home, making her believe that the most important thing was what the telly was going to say about this celebrity or that. Those useless things that she'd forgotten in her travels with the Doctor had made her a different person. For the first time, Donna truly saw the universe...and it was magnificent.

But with one touch from the Doctor, all of those memories submerged forever. Or almost forever.

"DOCTOR!" Donna yelled at the top of her lungs, ignoring the vague pains that blasted her mind.

Her heavy, determined steps slammed down on the carpet like there was a personal vendetta she had against it. Of course there wasn't but if the Doctor was made out of carpet, she can't have said that she wouldn't have enjoyed the stomping.

Poor, poor, unaware Wilf mistook his granddaughter's cry of "Doctor!" for that of a medical one.

_Perhaps something's wrong with her_, Wilf wondered.

Donna took down the steps, two at a time, letting her fury lead her into the kitchen where her nose became enwrapped by fresh coffee brewing.

"Donna, sweetheart. Are you alright?" Wilf cheerily asked.

His smile had retreated in confusion however when he looked up to see his granddaughter standing in the doorway, her stormy, sapphire eyes locked on him.

"Gramps! You knew. You bloody knew he erased my mind. You AND mum. Mum can't stop gossiping about the neighbors for two minutes. How'd she even manage to keep quiet about this?"

"Donna? What are you going on about?" Wilf started, panic creeping into his heart.

_She can't have remembered._

"Don't you give me that look you conniving old man. You do it whenever you're trying to get out of a sticky situation. Oh my god...I remember...I remember Christmas. Everyone...everyone looked the same. Shaun, mum, all the people outside. And I...I called you. But you only told me to run," Donna spoke, her anger fleeing for the moment as curiosity filled her eyes.

Wilf thought about keeping up the charade but the look in Donna's eye said that if he did, HE might not live until next Christmas.

"Oh Donna...do you really remember it? The Doctor? Your travels?"

"Yes. Yes I do. How could you not have told me gramps?"

A vulnerability briefly etched itself onto Donna's face which made Wilf almost start trembling at the deep hurt that showed. His granddaughter was one tough cookie and not many things tore her up. But this, he knew this was more painful than anything she'd experienced before.

"Donna, you've got to understand. The Doctor said that if you remembered, even the slightest bit, your head would explode from all the knowledge."

"Does it bloody **_look _**like my head's gone and exploded?" Donna interrupted, her fury returning full force.

"Why don't we wait for your mum to get home and then Shaun. Then we can all-."

"Gramps, I'm going to find the Doctor. I'm going to find the Doctor, beat him within inches of his life and then probably be back home for dinner. DON'T wait up!"

"Donna, love, wait! It's been two years since he's last been here. What makes you think he'll just show up?"

His answer was withheld however as Donna made a quick journey upstairs to change into clothes more suitable for I dunno...hunting down the Doctor with a shotgun.

When Donna finally came back down stairs, the determined look that marred her features gave Wilf the proof he needed. He wasn't going to be able to talk Donna out of this.

"Gramps, I love you. And I know you had to do what you could to help me. But, and this is a very very large but, I'm fine. I remember everything and my head isn't in chunks all around the room. Maybe the Doctor just got it wrong, or maybe he just wanted to get rid of me-."

"Donna! Don't say that. He loved you," Wilf replied.

"Yeah, fat load of good that did me. You know I was a different person with him. A happier person with him. Knowing what I know, I can't just sit here idly, day by day, hoping that this world puts excitement into my life. Traveling with the Doctor was my excitement. And for a short while, it was my world. Just let me try to find him, pummel him maybe a few times for not thinking of any other ways to help me retain my memories, and then we'll try to figure out what happened. So, this is the important part I need to know gramps. The last time you saw him, where was he? What was he doing?" Donna inquired, folding her hands.

A proud grin appeared on Wilf's face. She was going to get what she wanted and frankly, it was about time. He knew she was right. That spark that lit her features during her time with the Doctor, seemed to be missing when she came back with her memories gone.

"He ah...he saved my life and this entire world's! He fought against the Time Lords-."

"Time Lords? He told me they're all dead."

"No, these ones detected that the Doctor was still alive from another...time dimension I guess. Sent some kind of diamond to the Earth that the Master used to signal their location," Wilf spoke, shivering slightly as he thought of the other renegade Time Lord.

"And the Doctor destroyed all the Time Lords? Why?"

"Yes. Well...no. The Master ended up destroying the rest of the Time Lords. They had to or else the Time Lords would have destroyed the universe as a result of trying to survive the Time War that had made them hostile to the point of well...self destruction and destruction around them."

Donna tried to process all of the information that her grandfather was giving her, still miffed that she'd missed yet again, another crazy event.

"Well...does this "Master" have a Tardis like the Doctor?"

"No," Wilf retorted cautiously, "why?"

"So he might still be here on Earth? He might have some way to contact the Doctor?" finished Donna with a gleam forming in her eye.

"Ye-NO! Donna, no! The Master is-."

"Thanks gramps! Be back sometime soon. Tell mum she's dead when I get back," Donna yelled, excitement making her heart start pacing rapidly.

Off to find the Doctor to let him know that she wasn't just some Rose you could trap in another parallel world and then give another version of himself to. Not that she'd complain cause there was something incredibly attractive about the near duplicate Doctor. Definitely not a Martha who was going to hang on to every word the Doctor said. Donna loved Martha dearly, but she branched away on her own and that may have made the Doctor weary of another companion leaving.

Slamming the wooden door that blocked out Wilfred's rushed words to her, Donna broke out into a run, a sudden idea springing into her mind. Perhaps Martha still had her phone that called from across time and space. Or maybe she could find out the location of this "Master" guy who was also a Time Lord. From her past, she seemed to have incredible luck running into Time Lords.

_Besides, I'm the most important person in the world!_

"I sure have missed this," Donna breathed out to herself happily as the London morning rose itself over the occupants of the city.

Wilf tried to yell for Donna, but she was already gone. Oh he hoped with all his being that Donna managed to find the Doctor. Normally his fear wouldn't be so catastrophic but this time was different. His fear spanned from one conversation that he and the Doctor had shared briefly two years ago after Earth was back to normal from the Time Lord attack.

"So is your friend...is the Master dead?" Wilf had asked shakily, knowing how frail the topic was to the Doctor. To not be able to shoot the man who'd tortured and held them imprisoned, spoke volumes to Wilf on the relationship the two shared.

The Doctor said nothing, only stared ahead at the houses neighboring the Nobles. His eyes seemed distant and sorrowful at the same time.

"He must be. I mean...he was gone after the Time Lords were defeated. You even said-."

"Don't always believe what I say," the Doctor cryptically commented.

And the was the last of that conversation.

To this day, Wilf had the horrible feeling that the Doctor's words had a complete undertone to them. An answer within an answer. The Doctor never said words that didn't have meaning behind them.

"Even if the Master is alive, what are the chances of Donna finding him?" Wilf questioned aloud with a weary smile.

His chuckle failed to reach the true joy he previously held. Instead, a deep worry settled in his brow and Wilf could only pray that the Doctor, wherever or whenever he was, became aware of Donna's unexplainable memory return. And not just because she was going to beat him silly.

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><p><strong>Moving along too fast? Too slow? You like? Tell me in a review ;)<strong>

**And yes, Donna is kind of doing things without too much thinking about them. That's part of how she gets into the mayhem and...oh well, I guess you'll just have to find out.**


	3. Tears of My Beloved

**If you can't tell already, the italics are the characters thought processes. I want to give a very great thank you to those of you who've reviewed thus far. It really helps alot and just makes me able to churn out a chapter per day. I hope you like where I'm going to end up taking this story and all the "twists" I plan on putting in. And on to the next chapter! Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Tears of My Beloved<strong>

Donna had no idea where to even begin looking for Martha Jones. Of course knowing that she was a part of UNIT helped but there wasn't exactly a line in the phone book that said 'We Catch Aliens At this Location'.

"Watch where yer walkin, will ya?" a balding businessman yelled, brushing off the shoulder she had ran into as if it was diseased.

"Oi! You can sod off if you don't want a good swot, sunshine!" Donna replied back, an edge to her voice that she proudly vented.

The man only growled impatiently and walked away.

_Some blokes these days._

After two hours of searching London and directories of private companies however, Donna was no closer to finding Martha than she was before starting. No UNIT bases were around except government owned ones which were located in London and had to do with various packaging companies. To add even more misery, the area in which she remembered the UNIT headquarters to be located, in its place only stood a vacant building, seemingly mocking her for her unsuccessful progress thus far.

Frustratingly and a bit disappointed, Donna flung herself down on a bench outside of an electronics store.

_She's got to be here somewhere. If I found the Doctor two times, I can find Martha. But if I can't find Martha then how am I supposed to find-?_

The long forgotten headache of this morning made a wicked comeback as the left side of her temple felt like someone was pounding a hammer on the outside of it.

"I love this show!" a chipper voice next to her exclaimed.

Donna turned through the headache dejectedly to look at the person that just sat down next to her.

She looked to be a woman of about thirty, long straightened brown hair with peeks of blonde highlights scattered in it. A tan business suit and skirt graced her elegant form with the final puzzle being a composed, ageless face that screamed 'I Make A Lot of Money'.

Glancing back up at the electronics store that had a mega screen television, Donna observed what was playing, her headache receding in the random pattern in which it came.

It was one of those ridiculously bad soap operas that her mum would watch while simultaneously yelling at the characters on the screen. If the characters didn't take her advise, the screen would be sprayed with tea because Donna's mum really, really didn't like to be ignored when she knew she was right.

"Yeah? What's going on in this episode?" Donna asked kindly, making conversation at a time when she really needed it.

"Well since this is the 100th episode of "Tears of My Beloved", they're doing a two part special where Angelica – the nursemaid – finally shags Victor – the lawyer who hired her to watch his children," the woman replied eagerly, her eyes never losing focus off the telly.

"Oh? Must be one hell of a lawyer," Donna laughed.

"Not just that, he's in love with her too. But he can't find the guts to tell his wife who's away on a charity mission in Africa."

"Ah…so what happens next? He tells her he loves her and they live happily ever after?"

For the first time, the woman broke her emerald eyes away from the telly and faced Donna. A somber look passed her face.

"Actually, it's really sad. Victor's wife comes back home with malaria and fearing that Angelica will tell his wife of their affair, Victor fires her and orders her to never come in contact with him again. Real sad because they were both in love with each other, ya know?"

Donna agreed with a nod but internally thought that the story wasn't quite that far off of what was really happening in her own life. She was the nursemaid – except she wasn't shagging anyone in any form at anytime, anywhere – and the Doctor was Victor.

"What happened next?" Donna found herself asking in anticipation.

"So glad you asked!" the woman cried excitingly, turning her body to fully face Donna, "Angelica is really tiffed that he's just letting her go like that. They were together, yeah? He loved her and she loved him. They loved spending time together for Churchill's sake! But he just throws her out in the cold."

Donna nodded, her mouth slightly parted. Familiar feelings of betrayal threatened to surface but she kept her resolve, unwilling to let them control her again.

"So Victor has this enemy in court, a fellow lawyer named Colin King. Colin's opposed him in more than 20 court cases and has always been a brute, arrogant, idiot. Plus, Colin flirted with his wife awhile back so Victor isn't too thrilled to even mention him when he tells his wife how his day went. Well, and this gets really saucy, but Angelica sort of seduces Colin and then shags his brains out. Shags him for the obvious thrill and her bit of revenge against Victor for not admitting his feelings for her, even to his wife who then we find out was actually faking her illness to get attention from the charity that sponsored her. They give an award to someone who tried to save people's lives even if it kills them. Miserable hag."

"Wow. Soap operas have certainly gotten more...nah, they've always been this mad," Donna snorted, running a hand over her blue jeans.

"It's why I love them so much! Well, once word is breathed out to Victor about what Angelica had done with Colin, he gets absolutely tiffed. And I mean tiffed," the woman grinned.

Her black purse that had been laying forgotten beside her, emitted a ringing and with an apologetic quirk of her red, ruby lips, the woman turned away from Donna to answer her cell.

Meanwhile, a thousand thoughts were flying through Donna's head about the story line. No denying it, the Doctor was definitely a Victor...without the children and wife...or as far as she knew anyway. Donna herself would be Angelica, but a tad classier. Hopefully.

Victor had treated Angelica unjust at the end despite the obvious connection they held so she had got revenge. The Doctor erased her mind, an injustice in itself, and Donna would do what? Shag Rose in retaliation?

A violent shudder immediately evaporated the eery thought which made Donna recoil physically.

_Definitely not shagging anyone but my own bloody gender!_

"I've got to get going, but it was nice talking to ya. Take care," the woman announced hastily, throwing her purse over her shoulder and beginning the journey towards the business section of London.

"Nice to meet you too. See ya around," Donna answered, "Wait! You never told me how it ended. Did Angelica end up getting Victor back?"

Momentarily pausing in her footsteps, the woman turned around with a mysterious smile on her face.

"Dunno. The next episode is this Thursday so I reckon you should watch it. Bloody addicting it is. Goodbye," she called out and turned back to the sidewalk in a hurried pace.

_Rubbish. The whole idea of me even considering of hurting the Doctor like that is rubbish. But maybe-No! He might deserve to be thrashed about a bit, but not hurt like that. Then again, he had struck me where it hurt most and if gramps was right and the Doctor did love me, he would never erase my memories without another choice. Or telling me beforehand. I suppose he didn't know that I wouldn't die if I remembered...but how could he not have known? He was the Doctor!_

Rolling her eyes in aggravation, Donna pushed all thoughts of soap operas and femme fatales from her mind and began trying to come up with another plan. There was no way she was just going back home empty handed.

As it was that she was thinking of the Doctor and then of Martha Jones, a very strange thing happened.

The inside of her mind rattled, literally.

Closing her eyes, Donna only focused on the rattling that sounded like water sloshing against a wooden fishing boat. It wasn't overly painful but very out of place considering that she was sitting in the middle of a sidewalk in urban London.

The sloshing had picked up when her thoughts turned toward Martha again and like a semi washed mirror, an image began appearing at the center of her mind.

The harder Donna thought about the image, the clearer it became until to her utter shock which had her opening her mouth like a fish underwater, Martha appeared right inside her mind. I mean literally appeared right behind her eyes.

She was standing outside a neighborhood home that crossed with a small grocery store, talking with a figure that Donna guessed to be her mother.

"What do you want to do today?" questioned Martha, placing a hand around her mother's shoulder.

"Don't you have some UNIT disaster that you'll be called away for?"

The retort wasn't able to draw away the bitterness that laid within it.

"I promise, this whole week is for family. Plus, Torchwood is taking care of most of it. Sort of giving us and the Doctor some time off. We can check out that new exhibit on Brisk Street? I heard they've got the most brilliant sculptures. Or go shopping at Lough's? Fantastic place for the newest styles," Martha offered.

"I suppose. Oh you know I'm not trying to be pessimistic towards this, but it really is difficult to rely on you anymore these day. How do I know you won't be called off for some emergency and who knows when I'll see you again?" her mother responded indignantly.

"Mum, I would never leave if it didn't mean I wouldn't be coming back. Torchwood's got more members than ever before, the Doctor is far across the stars the last time I heard so there won't be some sort of trip he'll beg for me to hop on and half our UNIT is already on vacation. Nothing's going to complicate this week for us."

Finally, a smile adorned her mother's lips and within seconds, the two had packed their vehicle and were heading off to the shop called Lough's.

Rather suddenly, the image broke apart and Donna's eyes bolted open.

"What the hell was that?" she asked herself shakily.

The pedestrians who never once glanced down at the woman that looked like she'd just been struck by lightning, continued on by.

If Donna hadn't known any better, she would have thought that she just witnessed some kind of...premonition? Was that even a right word for it? And how in the hell did she do it? One moment her eyes were closed, thinking about Martha and the next, Martha appeared before her...in her mind at least.

Too stunned to be aware of her surroundings, Donna stood up carefully, making sure she wasn't going to pass out.

_Headaches worse than a hangover. Crazy determination to find the Doctor. Strange images appearing to me that might be real. I ask again, what is going on?_

For the first time that day, Donna came to the conclusion that she had to find the Doctor, this time for a completely different reason. Even when she was the DoctorDonna, she never experienced anything like this. Any...what could she call them? Were they premonitions? Such an odd thing to say but the things the Doctor had introduced her to, could they be considered any less odd?

_Well...let's see if I'm some bloody psychic._

With an air of finality, Donna made up her mind and started a twenty minute journey to the corner of Weist and Bardshaw; the location of the newly opened Lough's. If what in her mind was actually true and Martha was there with her mother, Donna would be astounded in more ways than one. Was it possible that along with her memories coming back, new abilities she previously never held were being introduced to her? Maybe a make up for the Doctor's intelligence that left her despite all of her memories coming back.

But again, excitement made Donna walk faster down the sidewalk. All she wanted to do was shout at the top of her lungs, "I might be psychic!"

Of course she refrained for obvious reasons including the various behavioral health hospitals littered sneakily around the city.

When the intersection of the two streets appeared in Donna's focal point, a car nearly hit the red head who flung up the longest finger of her right hand in anger.

Still, her mind forgot the lividness once she came to stand right in front of the golden, transparent doors of the shop.

_Well, here goes nothing._

Before she could even open the door however, a loud cry from across the street blasted her ear drums.

"Donna Noble, is that you?"

Twirling her head around, Donna took in the figure of none other than Martha Jones standing with a figure that looked like an aged version of her - her mother.

Silence soared in between the opposite sides that not even the traffic on the street could puncture.

"No way!" was the only two words that escaped Donna's shocked lips.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"So tell me again what happened?" Martha asked, disbelief and enthusiasm making themselves pronounced in her tone.

Martha's mother had gone off to shop in the large store for something fun regarding Tish's upcoming birthday.

The two friends had decided to chat up in the food center.

"Woke up and my memories were all back. Then I went out to search for you because I thought you'd know where the Doctor was. And it was so weird but I just thought about you and ta-da! You just appeared in my mind, having a conversation with your mum."

Martha shook her head in wonder. However, her eyes betrayed a hidden truth that she wasn't bringing forth.

Picking up on it, Donna hesitated upon saying something.

"Martha...did the Doctor tell you that he erased my mind?" Donna asked carefully.

"Well...um...yes. But like I said Donna, he only did it because he thought you were going to die if you absorbed all of the Time Lord essence. There could never have been a half Time Lord, half human."

"The Doctor's twin pulled it off just fine! Plus, can you explain what's been happening to me this whole morning as something un-Time Lord like?"

"No," Martha agreed, "I suppose not."

Calming down some because it really wasn't Martha's fault, Donna straightened herself up in the wobbly chair and stared desperately into her eyes.

"Martha, you said in my premonition or whatever it was, that the Doctor was far across the stars. Is that true? Is he not on this planet anymore?"

Fidgeting uncertainly, Martha only nodded her head.

"Could I contact him with your cell phone?"

Eyes lighting up in relief, Martha reached into her back pocket and pulled out the worn cell phone that the Doctor had given her in case of emergency.

"You can try. I've called two times this past week to see how his vacation is going but he's never picked up. Maybe you'll have a better chance. Donna, I really am sorry about not being able to tell you. I'm sorry that none of us could."

"Wait...what? None of you? Who all did he tell not to talk to me?" Donna demanded, shutting the cell phone for a moment.

At this, Martha wanted to slap herself in the forehead. She was only digging herself a bigger hole and making Donna more miserable with the cascade of information that she couldn't stop spilling forth.

"Sarah Jane knew...just in case she ever saw you on the street, the Doctor didn't want to run the risk. Same went for Mickey, myself, and Jack. Mickey and I cause of the same reason as Sarah Jane but from what I heard, _Captain_ Jack had wanted to get a little more cozy with you after meeting on the TARDIS," Martha giggled.

Donna stared at Martha who stared hesitantly back at her before they both busted out in laughter. Donna's coming from her heart, thinking of all the irony that had been running loose while she remained an inept human and another part of it coming from the fact that she had wanted a hug from Jack for a very long time and the one on board the TARDIS that she'd managed to get, lasted entirely too quickly.

Smoothing her heated cheeks down with a cool finger, Donna slowly retraced her amusement and dialed the phone number that would directly link her to the Doctor.

"What can you tell me about Christmas Day, two years ago?" Donna questioned in the meantime.

At least now she could get a proper story out of someone who wasn't lying to her regarding the day where everyone looked like replicates of each other.

All faints of humor that had been lighting Martha's face, vanished.

"What?" Donna worryingly questioned.

"Sorry...just a...bad memory associated with that day. A year that's not one of my favorites, along with another one that..."

"It's ringing! Oi! Doctor? Doctor!" Donna shouted into the cell phone.

Static fed itself into Donna's ear and although it sounded like the other end had been picked up, there was no reply.

"He's picked up but not answered. Odd. Maybe he's-."

"Donna?" a male voice answered back suddenly on the other end of the line. A very baffled voice.

"Doctor, I'm going to kill you," Donna stated happily.

Whatever the Doctor was going to reply with next, never happened as the static soon became too overpowering and eventually disconnected the two lines.

"Damn!"

"What happened?"

"Line got disconnected. Probably the radiation or something," Donna joked.

"Keep it," Martha urged at Donna's outstretched hand with the cell phone in it, "Keep trying. I've never gotten static before but usually he finds a way to call back. Don't miss it because I think Donna, that what's happening to you is truly remarkable. If you can really find out where people are just by looking into your mind like that...well that's an extraordinary gift. Of course the Doctor will have to poke and prod you, try to find out what it is like he always does. I'm sure he's on his way back since he's heard your voice and probably just as curious as all of us to find out what's happened."

"Thanks. And don't worry, I know you were only doing what he told you. Us former companions, we have this almost...insane inability to never stop listening to what he's saying, even when we're not exactly listening. It's like his voice is immersed within our subconscious. And to hear it after a long period of time, to see him, it's just a moment of...god this is going to sound daft, but euphoria."

"Completely agree," Martha admitted with a sad smile.

Pocketing the cell phone, Donna's eyes ventured to a nearby clock that showed the time to be just a bit after two in the afternoon. At least she was making some progress, even though things were getting more confusing as the day spurred on.

"At least," Donna began tiredly, "at least I don't have to go searching for the "Master" or whatever it is gramps called him."

The cup of tea that Martha had ordered a few minutes ago, fell through her hands and onto the floor which made a resonating clang as it split into pieces, tea staining the marble floor.

Perking up in concern, Donna watched Martha apologize to the nearest waitress and get on the ground to pick up the shards of the cup. Once placing them into a bowl as one of the workers mopped up the spilled tea, Martha locked eyes with Donna, unexplainable fear engraved inside of her brown eyes.

Taken aback momentarily, Donna could only wonder what had upset her so much.

Apologizing one last time to the worker, Martha quickly grabbed Donna's hand and placed it firmly in between her own shaking ones.

"Donna, whatever you do, if anything you ever do, don't ever and I mean ever, run into the Master. Ever. I've got my stories and the two worst moments in my life are directly linked to him. Because of him. Why in the world would you ever think of searching for him?" Martha stammered, gripping her hand tighter.

"Why wouldn't I? He's just another Time Lord, right? Like the Doctor...I figured they were connected or something. One knew where the other one was or at least would have a good idea," Donna responded, feeling stupid for trying to make her words sound reasonable when only terror covered Martha's face.

"He is a Time Lord but, he's not a good one. He's the Doctor's enemy and even thought you AND the rest of the world can't remember it, he once wiped out over half of the world's population. The Doctor had thought he was dead but he was resurrected two years ago and was the one responsible for the Christmas Day fiasco two years ago. He made everyone look like him and called it the "Master" race."

Even to this day, Donna still didn't know why she did it, but as soon as Martha had explained the last part, a great, mirthful laughter expelled itself from her throat.

_The "Master" race? Didn't this man have an ego the size of a pancake._

Immediately however, she fought her laugh's back at Martha's bewildered gaze.

"I'm so sorry Martha...I dunno what came over me. He seems a bit...egotistical to me I suppose. I'd like to know though, about him. Why he is so frightening," Donna insisted, the slightest bit of amusement still bouncing around in her voice.

Spinning her head behind her twice over each shoulder to make sure that her mother wasn't anywhere nearby, Martha leaned in and undertook telling the tale of 'The Year that Never Was' and 'Christmas Day.'

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><p><strong>Had to stop or else I would have ran into the next chapter. Tell me what your thinking in a review ;)<strong>


	4. Who is This Master Bloke Anyway?

**Incredible, incredible thanks to the reviews so far. Especially mericat who's deciphered that I foreshadowed like crazy last chapter. The rest however, I'm going to stick incompetent to regarding what happens in the future. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Who is This "Master" Bloke Anyway?<strong>

"Okay?" Martha asked quietly.

Donna's mouth opened and closed once before she finally nodded her head.

It was quickly approaching 4 o' clock in the evening as couples and families moved about, shopping for this or that. The occasional homeless people began migrating east since the crowds of the rich were thinning out and the lower class began to pollute themselves onto the streets.

"Okay. I understand what you've just said but, I mean who is this "Master" bloke anyway? I mean who is he really? Evil Time Lord? Check. Ex-Prime Minister that put the human race through hell? Check. Cocky son of a gun who hates the Doctor? Check. The typical evil man. What are his weaknesses? Has he always been this mad?" Donna pointed out.

"Donna, why would you want to know all of that? He put us through hell, that's all there is to it. Almost killed you, if you don't remember. Almost killed the Doctor. Almost killed my family. Killed Jack numerous times. There are certain things...you just don't forget," Martha exclaimed sadly, her eyes pleading for Donna to understand, "The Master is no one. He's just a scared little boy who hides behind people, waiting for the Doctor to come out."

"Yeah, but he saved the Doctor's life. Remember? You said and I guess that's what gramps was talking about. He saved the Doctor and the world from the Time Lords. Surely, despite all that madness and hate towards the Doctor and the human race, there was something in him that was still good. For the Doctor to repeatedly trust in him at least."

"Who's side are you on Donna?"

"No! No, Martha sit down. I don't mean it like that. I understand that he kills people for his amusement. Hates the human race and all. But, it seems like the Doctor trusts him and cares for him and whoever the Doctor cares about isn't just some evil bloke. Maybe the Doctor saw that in him. The microscopic good he was capable of. Certainly must have since he was chasing him around everywhere," Donna commented, running a hand through her hair.

Martha only sat rigidly in her seat, staring at a cold cup of tea ahead of her.

"The guys dead though, right? Disappeared after the Time Lord's died? Nothing to worry about"

A precarious half nod was Donna's only answer.

"Martha, please look at me. I can't completely understand what it is you went through because I can't remember any of it, but I get what you're saying. The guy's evil. No doubt about it and I'm incredibly sorry all of that happened to you and your family," Donna reassured, keeping half the truth from reaching her lips.

Oh she'd listened to the story. Couldn't quite believe that he was the bloody prime minister - thank god she never voted for him - and heard his conquest of the world. His imprisonment of the Doctor and Captain Jack and eventual downfall thanks to a very bad ass Martha Jones. His supposed death and resurrection, then creation of his own race that made Donna feel guilty for the slight tickle that lodged itself in her throat when she thought back to the "Master" race. Really, really arrogant, presumptuous prat if she ever heard so herself. Then him bringing the Time Lords to Earth and eventually defeating them.

When Donna had asked why all of a sudden he decided to do so, Martha gave no reply to the answer. She could tell early on that Martha had a fixed prejudice against the man, as she should have. What Donna couldn't figure out was why she herself didn't. He was bloody evil, no denying it. Hated the human race, again, no denying it. Could have killed her gramps! But, it was his action towards the end of his life to set aside his own lust for power in order to save the Doctor's life and ultimately everyone else's, that really prevented her from demonizing the man to the core. So he tried to kill her once? He's tried to kill the Doctor numerous times and the Doctor always forgave him. Plus, she wasn't afraid of anyone - evil Time Lord be damned. She would never let some bloke push her around like that.

Again, she mentioned this to Martha and Martha only joked that she wouldn't have lasted long aboard the Valiant. Or maybe she wasn't joking. Donna couldn't tell.

Still, perhaps that's why she and the Doctor had gotten along so good. Because they were both so easy to forgive by nature when other people's pain was presented forth to them.

When she had first met the Doctor and he was killing the very creepy spider lady that Donna swears, still has no nightmares about, even though she had killed Lance, a man she had really loved, there was forgiveness inside the creature's...spidery black eyes. Donna couldn't prevent the pain she had felt at seeing her dying like that.

In that regards, the Doctor and she needed each other sometimes. To keep each other from turning into people like the "Master". To keep out the revenge and hold their head high through the toughest of times.

_But I'm not that bloody important. And obviously the Doctor didn't need me for the long run._

_Now stop it Donna _her conscious cried.

_What? You've never talked to me before and now you make your presence known when I'm realistically debating my importance to the Doctor. Bloody help you are._

_Well maybe this is why I talk to you so little, _it retorted back.

"Donna!"

"Sorry, come again?"

"I've been calling your name for a few minutes. You alright?" Martha questioned.

"Yeah, sorry. Just uh...thinking."

"I've got to get going. Mum's ready to go and I owe her this week for all the months I haven't been with her."

"Oh yeah," Donna embarrassingly muttered, standing up.

Just then however, a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Martha, how long has the Doctor been gone?"

"Long time. Maybe a little more than a year?"

"And did he tell you why he left or where he went to?"

A questioning look entered Martha's eye.

"No...he hadn't."

"Right."

"Donna, what are you thinking?

"Well, if this "Master" guy is still alive and the Doctor has just enough resolve to find him as he had previous to the bloke's disappearance, then I'm thinking that's what he's doing. Dunno why he's searching different planets though. The guy doesn't have a Tardis."

"But he had a teleporting device, like Jack did! Doctor said he had nicked it off a base somewhere."

"So he probably won't be coming back for awhile?"

"Why'd you think that?"

"Well, his friend is important to him and if he's been looking non stop for him for two years then I assume, even if it is his old friend Donna Noble who's all of a sudden just managed to get her memories back, he'll take a bit before coming back."

"There you go again, denouncing yourself. Donna, you were bloody amazing. Yeah, I saved the world but you saved the universe, remember?"

"Oh come off it, Martha. It wasn't just me."

Reaching out to hold her hand bravely, Martha stared deep into Donna's uncertain eyes.

"No, it was you. And the real you wouldn't have just stood around and let the Doctor wipe everything you hold dear from your mind. My journey with him is over on my own account. But please Donna, don't let yours end just because he's afraid of hurting first. You find the Doctor, smack him TWO good ones and then get back to saving the world like you were meant to do."

Donna smiled gratefully, trying to wipe the goosebumps from her skin.

The two women hugged, exchanged giggles regarding Captain Jack because he was generally a silly man to talk about, and then spoke their goodbyes.

A second before Martha's mum came over however, and just before Martha let go of the hug, she whispered softly one last thing into Donna's ear.

"If he is alive, please don't ever go searching for him."

Then she was gone with one last meaningful glance and Donna was left standing in the crowded food center with a small frown on her face.

Donna knew who Martha was referring to but she hadn't known exactly just how Martha had known that she did indeed plan on searching for him. Searching for him because of one idea that struck her mind with the force of a thousand bombs as her conscious was trying to tell her that revenge against the Doctor was a bad idea. An idea semi produced through the hurt that still bubbled inside the red head and due in part to a very badly written soap opera.

Walking hesitantly out of the bustling store, Donna quickly scoured a secluded area where she could go and think.

_Bad idea! Bad idea Donna _her conscious yelled in panic.

_You might be right._

_What about Shaun? You're still in a committed relationship!_

_We've both known for a few months that it wasn't going to work out._

_What? When did this happen? _

_Dunno...you're my conscious, you're supposed to know stuff like that._

_Donna, I'm begging you not to do this. Listen to Martha. Think of what the Doctor would do if he got a hold of your idea._

_Exactly!_

With that final exclamation, Donna walked the remaining steps to an alley forgotten in time. While two prosperous stores were on either side of it, the alley remained delicately abandoned. Like the prosperity of the two stores never reached the dark and subdued long path.

Closing her eyes and focusing very carefully, Donna began to lull herself in a slow state of awareness as she did just before the image of Martha entered her mind more than two hours ago. Very easily, the thoughts of Christmas came to her from two years ago.

She saw herself running panickly through the backyard of adjacent homes. Fidgeting with the cell phone to call her gramps in confusion. Then looking up at all the people surrounding her. They all had the same face. Badly bleached blonde hair, demented brown eyes, and a semi attractive-NO! Not attractive at all, shadow of brown stubble pattering their jaws.

Donna took this image into her head, focused in on just the man's face and then eventually, let her mind wander.

_Time to find out if this "Master" bloke is still alive_.

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><p><strong>No matter what, I still want everyone to realize that Donna is pretty pissed off at the Doctor. Oh wait, maybe it's just me writing my frustrations through her. Anywho, I hope this doesn't seem rushed. Tell me what's going through your mind in a review :)<strong>


	5. Very UnNoble Ideas

**Took awhile for me to write this one because I think my writing's going downhill and the interest is disappearing for this story, but I'll write on just because of the things I have planned for later on are just too strange and exciting to hold back, even if their not written well. Again, thank you for the reviews and enjoy the awesome human that is Donna.**

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><p><strong>Very UnNoble Ideas<strong>

So you're probably wondering to yourself, what in the hell is Donna Noble up to? Completely uncharacteristic of her. She's a kind, gentle albeit bold individual who isn't going to let her feelings of betrayal corrupt her decisive logic.

Well, she wasn't going to, at least until Martha began explaining to her the exact history of the Doctor and the "Master" recited to Martha by the Doctor himself.

Maybe it was the atmosphere Martha had managed to display of intense tension whenever she went on to explain how the "Master" tortured the Doctor on board the Valiant. Perhaps even it could have been the Doctor's final showdown with his enemy which plainly showed the love/hate relationship between the two Time Lords. Whatever it was, Donna's mind had unexpectedly began to spring back to earlier in the day when she had been sitting on that bench outside the electronics store, following the explanations of the woman in the tan suit regarding "Tears of My Beloved." Silly, ridiculous show that it was, something inside Donna had witnessed a connection between the two Time Lords and the two characters in the show.

Whether her mind naturally did this or it was a humanistic trait of all mental capacities, she did not know but there was an obvious link

The Doctor, Donna found herself describing, was Victor - the loveable, mysterious protagonist who couldn't reveal his true feelings lest he show his vulnerability.

Although she had snorted slightly at the thought, it was nonetheless a connection of sorts that her mind was running with.

If you are wondering, yes, Donna's mum had coached her for years on the characteristics of soap opera men. They were all lying, cheating bastards and couldn't be trusted. The ones that weren't any of the previous traits, were probably gay.

Yet, when Martha spat out the story of the Doctor's enemy, Donna's mind couldn't help linking the "Master" to Colin – the antagonist who's there to ruin all the happiness that surrounds the protagonist and steal it for himself even when it won't truly make him happy.

Although it was of course silly to relate two Time Lords to two fake soap opera characters, the stories were uncanny to say the least.

For example, Colin always tried to bring down the audience favored Victor. The "Master" guy loved to do the exact same thing to the Doctor, even grasping hold of the human race in order to bring the Doctor down. Then there was also Victor's need to protect all those who were a liability to him from Colin in the courtroom. No difference here when the Doctor had sent Martha away to make sure the "Master" hadn't laid a hand on her shortly after his takeover.

All of these coincidences sparked something devious and atypical to formulate within Donna's mind. Something so diabolical and dare she think it, lingering on malignant that repulsion was the first thought process to accompany it.

But the thought, like a persistent male suitor that Donna once had to crack a vase over the head of, kept on reappearing impishly in her mind. Especially when her emotions surfaced as a result of the barely contained tribulation that Martha's eyes held whenever she spoke of the Doctor.

Here were two women, both burned by the Doctor in ways he could never imagine, never did imagine as obvious in Donna's lost memories, trying to move on. Well, Martha was at least.

Donna...well she couldn't say that's what she was doing. Even if the Doctor came back to Earth and she gave him a piece of her mind, would it really impact him the way she wanted it to? Her mum had slapped him for goodness sakes and he barely said a word about it afterword. And what if he just told her to stay still like a good Earth girl and don't get into trouble while he tried to figure everything out. Oh, now that would really rile her up.

More importantly, when it came down to it, Donna believed that no matter how she chose to display her despair, whether it was by cussing the Doctor out or just beating him to the point of near regeneration, she doubted that the Doctor would really understand the gravity of loneliness and dare she think it, an almost self hate that Donna felt especially when she replayed all of the things in her mind that had led up to the moment of her erased memories. Little things that she could have done differently or things she didn't have to have done at all just to be able to still travel with the Doctor. Which then came in the most important and utterly stupid link of the whole damn show and herself.

As aforementioned, Donna had not only linked the two male soap characters to her life but also the female star. Through somewhat similar characteristics that only really set them apart due to the sexual stamina of the soap opera character, Donna did end up describe herself as being Angelica – an independent spirit taking a shot at what her heart desired and then being sourly humiliated for doing so.

While Donna did not love the Doctor in the way that had her flaunting around her ginger self in front of him, she did love him deeply enough to where the trust so flawlessly established within the pair, was severed between what once was a truly impeccable friendship.

And what did Angelica do to not only get her revenge on Victor, but to empower herself? She slept with the enemy. Not just slept but poured all her fears, rejections and hurt into the shagging so they never bothered her again.

Because of the remarkable similarity in plot and characters to the soap opera, the first thought that entered Donna's mind and immediately had her retch, especially the deeper Martha elaborated on the evils that was the Doctor's enemy, was that she sleep with the "Master" bloke.

The shivers came and then relented but the thought soon began to reaffirm itself proudly.

Oh it was disgusting. Sickening. Wicked. Vile. Inconsiderate. Very UN-classy. Very UN-Noble.

But wasn't the Doctor at one time, any of these things? Or perhaps all of them.

When she had first observed him, and I mean truly observed him as he showed no mercy to the spider lady drowning in unimaginable suffering, it was very easy to classify him as all of those traits. Granted, it wasn't every day he was like that but she knew so little about actual Time Lords. About their personalities, their traits, what they would do if it really was all up to them to rid a creature or in the Doctor's case, his entire race without someone to neutralize them. To offer another type of solution.

Besides, there was one thing Donna hadn't mentioned as she picked out the random words associated with her idea, and that was how fulfilled she'd feel in the end. She didn't know how exactly and it wasn't because the Doctor would potentially be hurt, but it was the thought of doing something so unexpected of her and seeing the expression on the Doctor's face. To let him know that she wasn't going to stay still for him and wait until he fixed everything. Or that he could just erase her mind any old time he liked. It was Donna getting back her dignity while in the bed of the Doctor's enemy who may or may not be alive. Doesn't sound so bad, does it?

This whole thought process that Donna took to figure out the plan, only lasted but a few brief minutes. Guilt of course indented on her, guilt from Martha's incredible dislike of the evil Time Lord as well as Captain Jacks and guilt from her gramps who would think she had belly dove off the deep end. Yet the guilt couldn't outweigh the triumph she knew she'd eventually retain. The triumph of fully regaining herself.

And even though Martha had called her out on it with her final warning words before she had left and even though Donna did consider that if the "Master" bloke was alive, he might actually be dangerous, the plan still led her to that abandoned alley. It still ignited a renewing determination. It still had her close her eyes, breathe in deeply and envision the "Master's" face whom she really was tired of just calling the "Master." If she ever met him, she was going to ask him why in the hell he came up with such a stupid name. Why not "The Thick Headed Dunce" or "Loser" for short?

When everything finally had managed to ebb down inside the alley, despite her greatest efforts, Donna had no sudden image of the man. She thought of him once and then again and again but only a black stagnation inhabited her mind. Her ability either wasn't an ability at all or the bloke was dead. For some reason, the former was more difficult to believe.

_It's not every day you can view a conversation in your head and find out that it actually happened, _Donna harshly reprimanded herself.

She tried again once more, just for good measure but the same darkness encompassed her mind as soon as she thought of him.

With an air of defeat, Donna stumbled back against the alley bricks and slowly slid down the grimy wall.

_Of course the laws of this world wouldn't ever let me get even with the Doctor by shagging his enemy. Nope, no help for Donna!_

_Well, you deserve it, _her wretched conscious replied back victoriously.

_Just you SHUT it!_

_What are you going to do about it Donna? Punch me?_

So focused was Donna on figuring out a snide comeback to her conscious, HER CONSCIOUS of all things, that she had almost missed the noise.

It was so miniscule, so near impossible to hear that Donna almost thought she'd imagined it. However, staring curiously down at her left hand, she watched in fascination as her index and middle fingers tapped repetitiously four times on the murky granite and then cease, then start up again, then cease.

Tat-tat-tat-tat. Silence. Tat-tat-tat-tat. Silence

When Donna finally managed to stop her fingers from tapping the ground, she was shocked to realize that the noise was still present. Extremely faint, yet still resonating. The pattern had moved to inside her head, or perhaps it had been there the whole time, her fingers merely copying the mesmerizing rhythm.

_God, why does this sound so damn familiar? Almost like a drumming..._

With that, Donna shot up promptly from the ground, a hidden thought struggling to reveal itself to her. It was incredibly important. It was something Martha had mentioned to her.

But no matter how hard she tried to remember, the thought kept disappearing.

This had Donna furrowing her eyebrows in deep concentration as her feet led her out of the darkening alley.

Evening had graced London quickly and gray clouds had made most Londoners scatter into pubs or their cars, aware of a nearing storm. The sun was long gone and the streets filtered out quickly with only the occasional family man or worker trying to make their way home.

While all of this registered to Donna, it was nothing compared to the second bout of shock she felt as she realized that the drumming in her head had increased in volume. Again, it was slight and barely noticeable but Donna had been eminently focused on the noise for the past few minutes so the slight change was apparent.

Pondering on this new development, Donna decided to try something out.

Cautiously, she took about ten steps to the right. To her surprise, the drumming nearly disappeared altogether. Quickly, Donna hustled back to her position outside of the alley and the noise became present again.

_This is mental,_ Donna thought disbelievingly.

Still, it didn't prevent her from taking ten steps to the left. Ten steps that intensified the drumming perhaps half a decibel. As soon as this realization hit Donna, the thought that had been keeping itself concealed from her, shot to the center of her mind.

_Martha had said that he had controlled the population through a rhythm. A drumming that he himself heard constantly in his head which drove him mad. And Martha also had learned from the Doctor that the drumming wasn't just some random rhythm. It was four beats of a Time Lord's hearts. Hell, she had heard it in the Meta-Crisis Doctor herself._

Undisclosed glee embellished Donna's lips. It was sudden but nonetheless, exciting. Like following an adventure but without the Doctor.

_Donna, please don't foll-, _her conscious began.

_Tough._

And with that, Donna began tentatively advancing out of urban London.

Every ten steps or so, the beat of the drums in her head would increase and by the time she'd walked two blocks, the beat was equivalent to that of a conversation in hushed whispers.

"Follow the drums? How utterly...tacky," Donna sputtered humorously.

But still she strode on, intent on following as the ashen, thundering clouds above her moved over the city.

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><p><strong>Yeah, a bit too paced? Too slow? I hope I'm still keeping your interest. And I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know in a review.<strong>


	6. It's Not a Family Reunion, I Swear!

**And onto Chapter 6. Thanks a ton for the reviews. Hopefully with this chapter, things can finally start to really get rolling. **

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><p><strong>It's Not a Family Reunion, I Swear!<br>**  
>The unmistakable sound of the Tardis landing was what awoke Wilf in the evening. His daughter was sleeping, weary of the events that had taken place once Wilf informed her of Donna's memory return. Shaun was no where to be found but Wilf found this to be a relief. How could one even begin to explain the events surrounding their family?<p>

In a sprint much too avid for a man his age, Wilf ran down the stairs, through the kitchen and flung open the door in a delighted hurry.

Before him stood the Doctor, still appearing the same with brown hair rampant and a purple/tan suit gracing his long form. If anything that was different, it would be his eyes. The brown liveliness in which Wilf used to seek adventure in, had dulled considerably since they'd last spoken two years ago.

"Doctor," Wilf excitedly spoke, hugging the man eagerly.

Awkwardly, the Doctor gave him a one handed hug before inviting himself in and closing the door in one fluid motion.

"Wilf, it's great to see you!" the Doctor exclaimed, all tiredness vanishing from his eyes.

"The same to you good sir. Now, you must tell me of your travels."

"All in good time. I need to know first and foremost, did Donna get her memories back?" the Doctor asked very carefully.

"Yes, yes! She did. How did you know? I was going to tell you but we had no way of reaching you."

The Doctor began a quick pace back and forth in the living room, his fingers itching towards his pocket to get out his glasses. He refrained however, his lips quirking and brown brows furrowing.

"She called me from Martha's cell phone. I tried calling back but the connection is useless. Maybe the charge is finally running out...should have gotten it recharged at an energy planet. Couldn't have though, half those planets won't let me back into them. Really though, not my fault at all! Just because they have a problem with...Wilf! Tell me exactly what she was doing before she got them back!"

Wilf had been watching the Doctor's animated face scurry in a bundle of emotions, finally resting on a serious inquisition. The question almost caught him off guard.

"I was making coffee in the kitchen this morning when I heard her shouting your name. Must have been around ten. Then she just came down and began...well she kind of chewed me out a bit but it's Donna so I didn't expect anything less from her. We chatted for awhile and I may have sort of mentioned that...well she wanted to know where you were and the last place you had been and I kind of...oh dear," Wilf trailed off, scratching his beard softly.

"What did you say to her?" the Doctor questioned.

"I told her about the Master. She thought that he had a Tardis but of course I told her that wasn't the case. Anymore that I tried to tell her however, I can't say she'd heard it all since she left and never turned back. But it shouldn't matter, should it? I mean you said it yourself and I know you told me not to believe everything you say but the Master is dead, right? Right?" Wilf insisted.

Folding his hands back, the Doctor leaned back on the ancient brown table that graced the Noble's kitchen. His face remained impassive but his mouth opened a few times, almost as if he was wisely considering all the information to divulge.

"Doctor, I need to know what's going on with my Donna. You said that her head would explode if she got her memories back. Not only that but she's looking for you. Please, just let me know what's going on."

Perhaps swayed by the sensitivity in which Wilf had spoke those words or by the great need he had to finally talk to someone about what was on his mind, the Doctor finally relented.

"The Master is...alive. He survived the battle between himself and the Time Lords. I can sense him just barely," the Doctor motioned by knocking his fingers to his temple, "in here. Two years ago I had gotten a tip from...friends of mine that had me looking on every planet for him. He'd stolen a teleporting device and could have been anywhere in the universe. I had to try to find him though and help him. His mind was in such turbulence that I could feel his emotions as clearly as I can breathe in this air. Of course that was only for a few moments because the Master is incredibly good at forcing me out of his mind, but it was there nonetheless. I was on the planet Zaria, an extraordinary place if you ever want to go swimming because the whole planet is nearly all water, when I'd gotten the call from Donna. I was only able to hear her voice before the line was disconnected."

Wilf nodded his head sympathetically.

"Any luck with finding the Master?"

"None at all. It's like I can almost detect his presence in front of me but I open my eyes and he's gone. But the more important issue right now is Donna. How's she been Wilf?"

"Well good, or at least I thought. Her and Shaun are debating marriage right now or more like her mum's pushing them to get married or else. Well, they were. Everything's different though I suppose. Do you have any idea how she could have gotten her memories back?"

"Not the foggiest idea, which is a good thing of course. I like puzzles that aren't always easy to solve," the Doctor eagerly replied. He left out of course the longing he had to see his former companion.

"Doctor, was there any other way you could have saved her? I mean besides wiping away her memories. She was so distraught when she talked to me this morning. Donna is never distraught. Please tell me that was the only way to have saved her," Wilf protested.

The Doctor's smile had regressed into a thin line and he had to look away from Wilf or else he'd truly dig the knife further into the mess he'd caused. Oh he knew there was another way. Of course there was for everything the Doctor did, had an alternate decision to. But his decision was selfish and cruel. If Donna ever found out, oh she would not just hate him. Her sense of self would be broken. She would never talk to him again, much less forgive him for although Donna was incredibly generous and so much like him in regards to their easy going personalities, this would have been one of those things to blind side her into a grudge not easily forgotten.

Still, the Doctor wrestled with the decision to tell Wilf. He didn't want to start off from a two year hiatus by lying but if Wilf ever told Donna...

"I'm not going to tell her, if that's what you're worried about. If it'll hurt her, I'm not going to say anything," Wilf vowed as if he understood the conflict the Doctor was fighting.

"There was always another way. Wilf, you've got to excuse me because you're about to hear a very unkind thing that I had done, but I can't say I regret. You can't ever tell her though. I wouldn't have told you had I not trusted you so well," the Doctor commented seriously.

Wilf nodded his head, understanding the secrecy in which he was about to be entitled with.

Twenty minutes later in Cardiff, Wales, a Torchwood phone was ringing off its' hinges.

"Is somebody going to answer that?" Ianto shouted, his fingers flying over the newest report he had to have done by that night.

Lily, the newest addition to their team only rolled her eyes at the phone before going back to pick at the cuticles underneath her fingernails.

On the other side of Lily, another new addition sat just as lazily on his seat, seemingly asleep.

Ianto knew better however and with an exasperated sigh, ran to the phone. Oh he hated the new team that Jack had recruited. They were lazy, ignorant, and incorrigible when it came to working the equipment in the Torchwood lab. Sure Lily could operate the ins of a computer incredibly well but so could he. And Travis, the lazy bum nesting right next to her, could maybe deduct things quickly but again, so could he.

"He just recruited them as damn eye candy," Ianto muttered under his breath.

Picking up the receiver, he was stunned to hear the Doctor's voice. He'd hardly ever called over here and if he did, it meant that either the world was coming to an end or he needed Jack's help preventing the world from coming to an end.

"Jack?" Ianto called, holding his hand over the receiver.

Lily snorted while Travis beside her twitched.

"Where is he?" Ianto demanded.

"How should I know?" Lily retorted boredly.

"Could be anywhere," Travis added.

"I swear, the first chance I get to kick your butts out on the stree-."

"But of course we're not going to Ianto because we love our new recruits," Jack jubilantly replied, entering suddenly from his office.

Ianto rolled his eyes sarcastically before growling back, "Phone's for you."

With an award winning smile, Jack gave Ianto a flirtatious wiggle of the eyebrows before grabbing the phone.

Ten minutes later, Jack was packing everything he needed for his trip to London.

"Everything okay? World ending events going to come about?" Gwen asked, Ianto behind her with the same thoughts. Only they were aloud to come into his office.

"The Doctor needs me in London asap. Apparently Donna, the companion I was telling you about, got her memories back."

"They were missing?" Gwen questioned.

"No, the Doctor wiped them out. He had to or else she would have died. Now she's got them back all of a sudden, is very much alive, and he wants myself and some others to meet at the Noble house to discuss how it could have happened."

"Good luck," Gwen and Ianto voiced in unison.

"Thanks," Jack replied, grabbing the rest of his bags.

Stopping in front of his two greatest friends, he pulled them both into a bear hug. It was now a habit he did because they'd faced just a little too many near death situations together and ever since Tosh and Owen, their bond had been almost inseparable. They all understood that when one of them left, even if it wasn't a potentially dangerous mission, the chance of returning was never guaranteed.

"Don't worry about them," Jack insisted, tilting his head towards Lily and Travis, "they'll come into their own."

Ianto smiled reassuringly and with one final group squeeze, Jack left Torchwood.

Almost three hours after that, Martha heard a knock at her door. Under her breath, she prayed it was nothing concerning with work. Not only was her mum vying for her attention, but Mickey was over and they had finally decided to really get serious with one another. In fact, that was part of the reason she was answering the door in fingertip length shorts and a black v necked leather tank top that Mickey thoroughly enjoyed watching her in.

"Martha, Martha, Martha...all dressed up for me?" Jack flamboyantly asked, his blue eyes showing just how much he appreciated her lack of clothes.

Luckily, Mickey had followed her to the door and gave a venomous glare at the time agent.

"What do you want?"

"It's Donna."

Martha inhaled sharply.

"Is she okay?"

"Yes, but it seems that she's gotten her memories back. The Doctor called awhile back and I'm to collect you two and meet at Donna's place. She's gone right now, searching for the Doctor."

Martha heard Mickey sprint to their bedrooms, already sure that he was going to get her clothes as well as his.

"She's still gone? I though she'd...especially after we'd spoken-," Martha mumbled, a dreadful chill running down her back.

However, Mickey was back with her clothes and before Martha could even utter a goodbye to her mum, the three of them were headed to the Noble house.

By the time eight o'clock rolled around, the Noble house was populated to the max. Jack was introducing himself to Donna's mum, her indignant stare making his flirtatious smile falter. Martha was hugging the Doctor, a worried crease marring her brow as Mickey patted the Doctor on the side affectionately. Wilf was watching the whole process fondly, impressed secretly of all the people that cared about his Donna so much.

"So, where to begin. Ah, yes! Martha! You gave Donna your cell phone which means you've talked to her today. Now tell me, how'd you find her and do you have any idea where it was that she was headed?" the Doctor began, turning his determined eyes onto Martha.

Biting her lip softly, Martha shivered involuntarily under the Doctor's stare. The last time she'd done that was back in medical school when she was first kissed by the Doctor on the moon.

"She found me. It's...kind of extraordinary. Here's what happened..."

Five minutes later and the Doctor was scratching his head so hastily that Martha was concerned he might start a fire with all of the friction in between his scalp and his brown locks.

"So she can find people in her head?" Jack voiced out loud, the other occupants of the room thankful for his question that had been littering their minds only minutes previous.

"Is that even possible?" Mickey responded.

All eyes strayed toward the Doctor who had suddenly found an old, child picture of Donna to be the most fascinating thing in the room.

"Well, is it Doctor?" Sylvia sharply asked.

"I...I suppose. Personally, I've never heard any cases of it. Maybe connected to her sudden memory regain? Possibly," the Doctor deduced.

"That's not all Doctor. I-I got the idea that she was going to search for someone after we got done talking. Like her mind was preoccupied while we were chatting," Martha admitted.

"What was it occupied on?" the Doctor requested.

"We...um, we got onto the topic of the Master. She wanted to know a little bit about him. Well, a lot because she said if she hadn't found me, she was going to search for him in order to find you. But when she found me and I gave her all the information she asked for, it seemed like...like she didn't truly understand how dangerous he was. In fact Doctor...I think...god I knew I shouldn't have let her out of my sight...I think she went to search for him," Martha expressed solemnly. Her head hung down in shame as Mickey's comforting arm slid around her.

Shocked gasps came from Wilf's and Sylvia's mouths while an expression of horror filled Jack.

The Doctor still remained calm on the surface but inside, he was absolutely flabbergasted.

_Why in the bloody hell would she want to go search for the Master? She could have just gone back home. But no...that's not the Donna I know. She doesn't give up easy. But what if she was successful in getting the location of the Master? _

The Doctor was surprised to feel the slightest sting of jealousy penetrate his frayed nerves. Jealous of her seeking out the Master in her head instead of trying to seek out him. Jealous that Donna had the nerve to fearlessly pursuit his enemy, yet he couldn't even tell her how much she had meant to him through all the times they spent traveling, right before he wiped away her memories. Jealous even when Wilf had been describing Donna and Shaun's potential marriage plans.

Was it possible that he held more feelings for his red headed companion than previously thought? He spent such a long time training himself to believe that they were just mates but this time it was his turn to admit that the kiss she'd given him back when he was being poisoned, had sprung excess thoughts in his mind that he wholeheartedly denounced. Or most of the time denounced.

"Is she safe Doctor? Is she safe?" Sylvia demanded concernedly.

Again, all eyes strayed toward him and the Doctor luckily, had an answer with him.

"Even if she finds the Master, there's very little chance that any actual damage will happen to her," the Doctor responded to everybody's panicked looks.

"How's that then?" Wilf asked.

"On Christmas Day two years ago, when she was being attacked by well...a horde of the Masters, she gave off a very powerful electric shock to them that knocked them all out. I put that there in case her memories were beginning to return and the Master was going to hurt her. It's side effect was to make her pass out as well. I had also implemented another current into her that would go off as soon as the Master tried to attack her, if her memories by chance were ever restored. All of this careful planning had to do of course with Martha and Jack. I never wanted another friend of mine to be defenseless against the Master," admitted the Doctor.

Martha and Jack exchanged grateful looks before focusing back on the Doctor.

"Not only that, but the Master and I are connected as all Time Lords are. However, the less of a species in existence and because the Gallifreyan race is so dependent on a mental connection, the more in tune I am with the Master. Even if it's flashes of thoughts he's having or emotions he's filtering, I can sense those things. Over the two years however, I've never witnessed a murderous emotion within him. That is to say, I don't believe he's killed anyone, as difficult as that is to believe."

"Must be another Master you're talking about," Jack objected.

Martha nodded her head in agreement and Wilf was about to also, but paused at the sober visage gracing the Doctor's face.

"You don't have to believe me, just trust me. If he was to kill, I'd feel it," the Doctor stated as a matter-of-factly.

"So are you all going to go search for my Donna? Surely you have an idea where she is," Sylvia inferred.

Just as her words left her trembling mouth, a clap of thunder followed by the sudden bout of rain that hit the roof, ejected all thoughts of doing so.

"No, tonight we'll all just bunk here. If you don't mind that is Wilf," the Doctor asked.

Wilf beckoned happily to all of his guests.

"I swear Doctor, if this Master puts one hand on my daughter or if she doesn't return home tomorrow, it is your hide I'll be after," Sylvia angrily promised.

Forcing a smile to his face, the Doctor gritted out, "If you had more faith in your daughter, Miss Noble, and knew her as well as I did, you'd know that she'll not only be back safe and sound tomorrow, but with a slap to greet me. Good night."

So the occupants of the house soon separated into different rooms, lighting a candle since the lights had begun dimming every so often. None of them could rest however, sleep eluding them as eight rolled into eight thirty. All of their thoughts we centering around one woman.

On the other side of the city, a semi drenched Donna was knocking on an old wooden door. The whole block had been vacant as far as she could tell and the sound of drums were so loud she couldn't even hear herself think. Still, they weren't painful.

She knocked once more, this time shivering from the cold drips of rain drops that began meandering down her pale back. Her pale green top wasn't completely soaked but her blue denims were getting that way as honest shivers made themselves present within her.

Then, as if she was personally involved in a horror movie, the door creaked once before mysteriously opening into the darkness.

Stepping inside with the slightest pinch of nervousness, Donna closed the door behind her and let her hands fumble on the left side of her for a light switch. However, the creaking of the floor had interrupted the drumming in her head. Before she knew it, footsteps had accounted for the creaking and before her fingers could lift the light switch up, the drumming in her head ceased completely.

"Hello?" Donna whispered bravely, forcing her fingers from not turning the lights on just yet.

The footsteps were in the same room with her, she was certain of that. But they like the drums, also ceased.

Calming the erratic beats of her heart, Donna patiently thought out her options. The drumming obviously had stopped and that could only mean one thing in her book. Still, anxiety overtook her for some reason when she thought of what she was about to do.

_I'm going to bloody sleep with him to get back at the Doctor! Right...well Angelica seduced Colin so I have to seduce...god. I can't do this._

_Where's your backbone Donna? _her conscious perked up.

_I thought you were against me in this?_

_Well, you're here in the situation now so you might as well make the best of what you've got _it replied coyly.

Of course her conscious was right and it seemed silly that Donna was backing up from a challenge now. Because that's all it was, a challenge and a night of pent up frustrations, leaving her. Nothing more.

Donna was so focused on her flagrant thoughts that she never even heard the remaining footsteps pad over to her. Luckily, she snapped out of them just in time to feel a deathly, cold hand wrap aggressively over her stiff fingers on the light switch. The whole process nearly had her jumping out of her skin.

Making the decision for her, the fingers pushed the light switch up and proceeded to make Donna nearly faint.

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><p><strong>Is this a DUN-DUN-DUN moment? Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Maybe with a few reviews from the very awesome readers I have, I could update the next chapter relatively soon because it's all written out already, just begging to be read. But I don't know because reviews are scarce. As always, thanks for reading :)<strong>


	7. Seduction is SO Last Year

**Let's hope I didn't completely butcher the characterizations of this next chapter. So...um, over 1,000 hits but only 20 reviews? What is this? A site where you can read fanfiction stories for free without leaving a review? Oh wait...To my reviewers, your reviews really do help me a bunch just to keep myself motivated in writing the next chapter. As always however, enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Seduction is SO Last Year<strong>

One thing you've got to understand about Donna Noble is that she doesn't get around. She's not passed from bloke to bloke, or even littering the bars in search of fresh meat. Despite her outgoing persona, when it came to love, Donna was relatively quiet in her affairs. Well, as quiet as she could be. With Shaun, they hadn't even shagged yet and for some reason, this didn't bother Donna nearly as much as she thought it would.

When she finally laid her eyes on the "Master" or whatever it is they called him, she was unexpectedly surprised at how handsome she found him. Although his brown eyes were probably glaring a hole through her head right now, they seemed strangely distant and vague. When she envisioned his badly bleached blond hair, she wasn't joking. Still, the blond seemed to give him an eery quality that was difficult to peel Donna's eyes away from. Then there was his jaw that she'd admit, was probably the most striking thing about his face. It was pronounced in arrogance and had the slightest brown stubble covering it.

"Get out."

His gritted demand had his cool breath float over her face.

Trying to budge her fingers from underneath his on the light switch, Donna simply quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

"Now that is no way to treat a lady that just came in from the cold. Who'd you learn your manners from? Hitler?" Donna requested loudly, tugging her fingers free from underneath his crushing grip.

The Master backed up in confusion but a very malicious smile appeared on his lips.

"Get out you filthy, stupid, stinking human before I strangle you to death!"

Disdain and hate were clearly present in his statement but Donna only smirked.

_So he get's riled up easily? Oh this might be fun._

"It's bloody raining and cold out there you thick ponce! You might be a complete ass but I'm not going back out there to freeze to death."

The glare he returned could have killed her.

"Does it look like I bloody care? Freeze to death, I don't give a damn! Just leave or else I'm going to become very unpleasant-."

"You're going to become unpleasant? Too late for that, don't ya think?"

A very strange blue spark came from the "Master's" left hand that momentarily had Donna worried. She never even thought about extra abilities he might have.

Unmoved however, Donna only stood haughtily up and stared back challengingly.

"I'm going to kill you," he replied, the maliciousness slightly decreased from his massive grin, replaced by a devilish amusement.

"Bring it on sunshine!" Donna retorted, her eyes boldly meeting his.

When he began running toward her with the blue spark she had seen surrounding his hand, Donna only stood petrified to the ground. If he got near enough toward her, she'd show him a piece of her mind for traveling with the Doctor had you pick up necessary skills in combat.

However, she never got that far because as soon as the "Master" was within five feet of her, a radiant yellow light erupted from her and sent the "Master" flying across the room and into the brick wall behind him.

Staring down curiously at her untouched form, Donna shot a triumphant smile towards the man who was currently staring at her in disbelief.

"Want to try and kill me again?" Donna smartly responded.

Hopefully the answer would be no because while she was aware that this was probably the Doctor's doing, she didn't know if it would be there to save her again.

"I know you. You're-," he began, standing up, "one of the Doctor's earth girls. Oh I should have known that one of them would be stupid enough to-."

"Did you know that you were a lot more appealing when your mouth was closed, Mr. Saxon?" Donna snarkily asked.

"As were you," he replied just as bitterly.

"You think I'm appealing?" Donna joked, enlightened to see the panic spread over his features.

"No-god no. The Doctor's companions are a waste of space."

"Which is why you were unable to kill me just now?"

"Do you shut up for two minutes?"

"So I can go back to being appealing? Alright."

With that, she smiled at his annoyed expression and began walking further into the room.

The place was run down and probably hadn't been used in ages. Considering what part of the city it was in, it might have been immobilized in vacancy since the 70's when most of the riots around this part had demolished the buildings or left the homes in burnt, charred remains. Inside what she guessed to be the living room, was nothing too special. A beat up maroon couch with two black springs torn from the inside was polluting the left side of the room and the right merely had an old brown coffee table standing on three and a half legs as well as a sturdy looking black chair with a comfy seat that was torn in the middle.

Pushing past the "Master", Donna ventured into the other room of the house and probably the only other one there was. This seemed to be the place that the "Master" had truly made his home in. A large white bed sat invitingly in the middle of the room with white sheets and white covers.

_Figured he wasn't a covers person. Or even a bed person. I mean the Doctor never slept..._

Discarded books were lying on one side of the bed, some with dust gathered on them while others looked like they'd been re-read numerous times over the years. Further to the left of her, a closet was squeezed into the room with a broken door sheltering the items inside that included numerous pairs of black sweatpants, simple t shirts and a few black hoodies rolled up within the mess. Definitely wasn't much of a fashionista.

Yet, and Donna did this as nonchalantly as she could for the "Master" had been watching her every move, her eyes stumbled upon a part of a revealed object that was hidden within the clothes. Almost as if the clothes were enclosing the object itself. What it was however, Donna didn't have time to decipher.

"What are you doing here?" the voice behind her asked through closed teeth.

"Told ya," Donna replied as if he were an idiot, "I'm not going back out there to freeze."

As if to prove her point, a rumbling above them nearly shook the whole house as the rain began to fall like somebody was continuously pouring buckets of water over them.

The "Master" seemed at a loss for words.

"Isn't it incredibly coincidental that the pest who invades my sanctuary, just happens to be one of the Doctor's companions?"

Suspicion was overtaking his whole form and Donna again began to grow nervous. She wasn't exactly the best liar in the world.

"Former companion," Donna corrected.

"Former? Not that surprising."

"Oi! I don't see you flying around in the Tardis with the Doctor who's been searching across the whole bloody universe to find you."

"Oh? Has he? Well that truly touches me down to the bottom of my black heart. How...inspiring," the "Master" murmured sarcastically.

"Put a cork in it Saxon," Donna retorted, understanding why the Doctor had such a strenuous time with him. He didn't shut up from his remarks for a minute.

"Don't call me that."

Donna rather felt than saw his intimidating form approach her back, but she waved it off.

"Well I'm certainly not calling you the "Master". Honestly, Master of what? Arrogance? Stupidity? Running away from the Doctor? Plus...I've always liked the name Harry," Donna reaffirmed.

Although not totally unexpected, Donna still was frazzled when she felt Harry's arm grab her wrist and spin her forcefully around. He pulled her within inches of him while managing to grab her opposite wrist and bring her into his very warm body. It wasn't until he did this that Donna realized how cold she was with goosebumps trailing their way up her arms.

Staring back boredly, Donna kept her apprehension down as his grip became nearly painful on her wrists.

His brown eyes tried so hard to shoot venom out of them but Donna had seen that look before, not exactly that evil mind you, but was aware of it in the eyes of the Doctor. It was a look he used when he wanted to get something across without any more questions asked but secretly, was masking what really was there.

Harry's eyes were no different, although what he was actually masking, Donna couldn't have been sure of.

Instead, her eyes ended up innocently traveling down to his red lips that were trying to sneer at her but didn't exactly have the passion in them for it.

_Should I kiss him now while he's really riled up? Should I wait? Damn, I really should have taken Stacy up on her offer to teach me how to seduce a bloke. But what was it Stacy had said? Seduction was so last year? What did blokes want these days anyway? Although I doubt Harry counts as a typical bloke._

Whether it was a result of her shivers or her half awareness that the other Time Lord had been slowly understanding where it is her eyes were aimed, but Donna slowly ended up darting out her tongue over the corner of her lower right lip before reeling it back in.

Harry's grip on her changed immediately, loosening as his eyes followed her example and anchored themselves on her red lips.

_The Doctor certainly never looked at me like THAT._

A deafening pause soared between the two with only the rain above and thunder outside to really capitalize on the silence.

"Do you like what you see?" Donna breathlessly whispered, shocked to realize that she was indeed actually breathless.

Harry recoiled quicker than humanly possible and flung Donna away from him. It was incredibly lucky that the bed had broken her fall or else she would have been one very tiffed redhead.

"Oi, what was that for? Well, guess I can't say I'm complaining. At least I'll have a bed for the night," Donna remarked.

"What? No...get the hell off my bed," Harry angrily retorted.

"Well it's not like I'll be sleeping on the bloody floor! Honestly, how much of your Time Lord intelligence do you actually use in that thick skull of yours?"

If Time Lords could sputter, none of them could be outdone by Harry's infuriated expression.

"Get off my bed or I'll make you."

His eyebrows were raised in a challenge equivalent to hers. Donna however only backed up across the white mattress, kicked off her shoes and stuck her legs underneath the covers.

Then smiling as brightly as she could, Donna retorted, "Alright, make me."

Harry pouted, yes, he ACTUALLY pouted. It was adorable, if you only focused on his lips and not on his absolutely murderous eyes. Which Donna did and found her self showing a true smile at.

"I hope the Doctor properly has a chance to mourn you because I can't guarantee that you'll be alive in the morning," was his final reprimand as he forcefully looked away.

Donna actually raised her hands in triumph and let out a relieved laugh.

"Now, I don't actually like sleeping in the same room as a bloke either. So I'm sure the couch will do for you, right?" Donna commented.

This time, it was Harry's turn to let out a great, insane, deep laugh as his hands flew to his sides in mirth. The longer he laughed, the more concerned Donna actually got.

_Yep, truly a mental bloke he is._

"You-you thought that I'd actually just lay on the floor or the couch in another room and just let some human take my bed? Of course not! Now...what was your name again...?"

"Donna," she replied hesitantly.

"Donna," he repeated, licking his lips as if the name held some type of edible quality, "Donna...move over."

Donna stared skeptically at Harry but he only wore an incredibly serious yet very self satisfying look on his face.

"No bloody way. Wait, check that. No bloody way in hell. I dunno what kind of girl you take me for-."

"What was it you said? Oh yes-put a cork in it Donna! Thank you," he grinned back, taking small steps toward the bed.

Internally, Donna wasn't panicking per se. She just didn't really know how to proceed from here. It seemed like opportunity after opportunity was throwing itself into her lap starting with their heated stares at each other's lips and now to him claiming that she had to share the bed with him. Exactly how a night turned from adequate to salacious. The only problem? Donna had no idea what the next step was in a seduction.

So, she opted for something serious.

"You know that the Doctor cares an incredible amount for you. More than he probably cares about anybody else. If you just wanted to find him-."

"What's this? Turning around the subject to avoid being humiliated? Now we can't have that, can we?" Harry replied cockily, his hands sliding his black hoodie and the white shirt underneath it off in one easy motion.

"Unbelievable. You are just as thick as the Doctor himself," Donna observed.

This had the Time Lord pause in his movements toward her as his pale chest was revealed to Donna's wandering eyes.

"The Doctor can never save me. Oh but he'd like to think he can. Stupid, pompous, arse that he is," Harry spat back, a shadow forming over his frowning lips.

"Is it...," Donna struggled to mention, "is it the drums in your head?"

Time seemed to freeze between the two as the smallest bout of fear masked across Harry's face.

"Of course the Doctor would have told you! Yes, the truly insane Master who hears the drumming in his head that nobody else hears."

"But he believes you. Especially with the whole Time Lords business. I think that's why he's trying so hard to save you. Because he feels partly it's his fault that those drums began in your head," Donna tried to reassure, very aware on the dangerous territory she was stepping on.

Before they were just insulting each other, nothing truly horrifying. But now, now it was on his turf and from experience with the Doctor in regards to sore subjects having to do with Time Lords, the reaction could be anything.

"I don't need to be saved," was Harry's final reply, which had Donna breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Now Donna, move yourself to the side or else I'm going to-."

"Kill me? Yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before."

Nonetheless, Donna still moved to the side and let Harry crawl into the bed with her. Definitely one of the more awkward moments in her life.

_Well, I guess we are literally sleeping together._

At this thought, Donna let out an ironic laugh at the situation.

"Shut it human," Harry lazily insulted.

His body thankfully wasn't touching hers yet but the heat that came from his body was paradise to Donna's freezing form. Her jeans had dried considerably but shivers were still targeting her body.

"I'm a bit surprised you're not trying to kill me. I mean you're a psychotic Time Lord and last time I remember, you had a large appetite for the human race," Donna noted after a period of silence.

"What part of shut it does your tiny human mind not comprehend?"

"Ah...I guess I'm just special then," Donna retorted naively.

The movement beside her was instantaneous as Harry rose onto his side to glare yet again at the human beside him.

"You are not special. Remember that. You're nothing but an insignificant life form that I could crush easily if I so wished. Remember that," he stated.

Donna's lips however, only broke into a smile. Twisting her head toward him, Donna too lifted herself onto her arm.

"I bet you say that to all the girls before you get them into bed."

The Time Lord rolled his eyes disbelievingly.

"No, just you."

"See? Then I am special!" Donna concluded in victory.

To be honest, Donna hadn't felt this giddy in a long while. Her and Shaun's banters usually ended up with them screaming at each other so it was a relief to finally have someone she could easily throw insults at, even if it was a man who wouldn't think twice about killing her.

Lifting her eyes to glance back at Harry, her nerves paused as she found his eyes fixated on her just as they had been before. Only this time, there was no doubt of what she saw in them. Perhaps she still had a difficult time believing it because she assumed all Time Lords were strict and careful about keeping their emotions in check as it was with the Doctor, but Harry was a completely different story.

"Your lips...disgust me," Harry uttered, flopping timidly on to his back.

"I swear, the girls must just come rushing to you as soon as you open your lips," Donna sarcastically implied as she too switched over on her back.

"And the men must really think your a catch as soon as your voice demolishes their eardrums," he bit back.

"I think I'd rather have demolished eardrums than listen to you say another word."

"Perhaps there's still time to stab myself in the eyes to avoid them being blinded by your hideous face."

"Oh that's rich! Hmm...rich...just like you used to be. Now, whatever happened with that plan? Oh yes, her name was Martha Jones," Donna yelled back, anger actually entering her voice.

That must have been the final straw because Harry had moved so quickly out of his place beside her, Donna barely had time to register his towering figure as he flung two legs on either side of hers and placed himself directly above her. And like before, his hands had flung straight to her wrists and were restraining them into the mattress.

As if this little switch around was the worst part. A second later, the lights went out completely in the abandoned home with only the window beside them letting in the light from the continuous lightning, the small moon creeping behind the clouds and two streetlamps that flickered uncertainly in the storm.

Oh, and had Donna forgot to mention that as she inconspicuously moved her denim clad leg to allow blood flow into it, the apex of her thigh felt something hard resting on it, coming from the waist of the man above whose strange smile had her suddenly expelled of all the shivers that were previously occupying her?

_This wasn't quite how I was envisioning seduction._

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><p><strong>A word or two about the Master. Now you're probably thinking to yourself...alright, he would have killed her by now, right? It's just not the Master without any death. Well, that's one interpretation that i've seen countless times in fanfic stories, but I have a different take on it. Referring back to the End of Time pt. 2 when the Master finally realized that his own kind were the ones to put the drumming into his head, that signaled for me a slight shift in the Master's personality. Almost as if he views the Time Lords as bad as the humans in that regards...but he still hates humans more. However, having survived the ordeal with the Time Lords, I feel like he wouldn't quite know what to do with himself. Sure he could go out and kill humans again, go to another planet and try to raise havoc and try to rule people. But, and I hope somebody is following my thought process through this, he almost feels...lost? Kind of like all the purpose for killing is a why should I? The drumming is still in his head, the Doctor is searching for him but all the Master feels is just well...indifferent perhaps toward the human race in regards to their lives. He still hates them with a dear passion but doesn't really have a basis in which to kill them anymore because he may have realized that those moments don't really last forever...did that make any sense? Not to say that the Master isn't evil anymore because we all know that he wasn't just evil by killing people. He had a snarky attitude, arrogance that manipulated splendidly, and still hates the Doctor. But in my story, this is the reason he hasn't killed anybody yet in the two years. Whew...I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and that their banter and meeting seemed believable. Thanks for reading and I hope you stick around for the NEXT chapter I've already got written where they get closer to ahem...yeah.<strong>


	8. Wolf & Sheep

**So reading through this current chapter, I think I was really going for humor and flirtation at the same time and if that took away from their realistic personalities, then I'm sorry but I do hope you read from here on with an open mind and don't expect incredibly precise characterization, although I will write as to how I see it. Otherwise, I almost cried with relief when I actually got reviews for the story. I was really starting to think that I might as well hang up this story and stop. Thank you so, so much to those who reviewed.**

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><p><strong>Wolf &amp; Sheep<strong>

All the heat in Donna's body had started a rapid ascension north to her cheeks when she realized just exactly what kind of predicament she was in. Anger flared up in her because she had been letting him pushing and pulling and PRODING her around as soon as she had entered the place.

It was supposed to be her seduction, her act of extracting all pent up emotions out of her and he was simply controlling her like he owned her. Well, she wasn't going to continue having any of it. Sure, she was aware that most seductions began nice and slow and flirty and playful but she wasn't a typical human and nor was Harry Saxon. If she wanted to reel this Time Lord in, she was going to have to get her act together and show him her backbone because that's what had aroused him in the first place.

_He likes aggression. Typical. Lots of physical tumbling around. Not a problem. His smile just screams "KINKY BASTARD". I can work with that. _

And that was when Donna discovered that despite his great facade of being the "Master" and wanting people to submit to him, he really liked a good tussle. A bit of a struggle that is. Almost as if there was a very small window of opportunity in which he wanted a person to fight back. As if something inside of him longed for it.

So with all the strength Donna could muster, she calmed her body as best as she could, lowered her waist as far into the mattress as it could go and with pride, visibly noticed the confused change of expression from Harry above her despite the dimness of the room. Again, his grip on her arms had lessened. Then just when he was ready to paste that smirk of victory onto his face, Donna flung up her waist as hard as she could, ripped her wrists from underneath his hands and slammed her head forward - straight into his blonde cranium.

Pain greeted her head immediately as well as Harry's surprised yell, but with all the acceleration Donna's body had forced up with, she had managed to fling his heavy mass off the bed and into a crumpled heap beside the bed, on top of the dusty books.

_Score one for Donna._

Of course victory was short lived, and if she didn't hurry up, she would be to.

"Oh Donna, you've just made a grave mistake. I'm going to-."

"Your role playing really needs some work," Donna bit back, jumping from beneath the covers and onto the opposite side of the bed, clutching her head with one hand.

The Time Lord bounced back on to the balls of his feet, the look in his eyes absolutely primal.

"Are you this rambunctious with the Doctor? Or just with me?" he quickly asked, lowering his hands onto the bed and bending his body toward her.

On the other side of the bed, Donna tried to keep down her heartbeat. It wasn't beating from fear.

"You're special," Donna easily replied, winking once as she admired his taught form. Oh yes, how could she honestly look away from his pale, chiseled chest? It certainly wasn't a muscle mans, but nor was it gawky like she imagined the Doctor's to be. So luminescent was it that the street light which was making a bright fire in the room, was reflecting off it.

Donna didn't wait for his reply because she was too busy darting to her left as Harry pounced across the bed at her. With equal speed, they both reached the other sides of the bed and turned back to stare at each other.

"Oh Donna, this is such a fun game! But guess what? I'm a _MASTER_ at this," Harry shouted maniacally, actually bouncing up and down on his feet with a wicked grin on his face that showed his perfect, marble teeth.

"THAT was probably the cheesiest thing you've said all night. Honestly, where do you come up with this stuff?"

Carefully, Donna placed her bare foot over one of the tumbled books, ready to sprint. Strangely enough however, Harry had stilled his vibrant movements and became eerily still. His grin was gone and his eyes were set in a sort of catatonic state.

"Do you really think I'm going to fall for that one?" Donna chided, charging from her current position as the statuesque Time Lord again suddenly jumped across the bed.

Once again the two stood facing each other. Donna in prideful glory. Harry in determined frustration.

"I can see why you're the Doctor's ex-companion."

"Oh really? Why's that then?"

"Because...he could never have handled you."

This stopped Donna firm in her track. When he'd said that too her, all malice and mockery was oddly dispersed from his tone.

"He obviously did. We spent a great amount of time together," Donna acknowledged back gallantly, finding herself defending her travels with the Doctor despite the less than favorable outcome.

However, as soon as her statement left her lips, Donna felt like she had completely misinterpreted his question. What he was referring too seemed to hold a significantly deeper meaning than she had thought. This was then reaffirmed when Harry's face shifted back to an intent arrogance.

"Alright Donna, you've proven yourself. Just take my hand, we'll call truce and go back into the bed as easily as we-."

"Tough," Donna reprimanded, a sudden idea sparking inside her head, "I've decided that I'm going to be taking the couch out there after all."

Whatever it was that Harry had expected her to say, it obviously wasn't that as clearly shown from the brisk frown that marred his face.

"Oh stop acting like a child," he yelled, nervousness slightly creeping in his tone.

"Me? Acting like a child? Who's the one who wouldn't share his bed in the first place? Who's the one that yelled and pouted for me to get out of the house? Who's the one that just chased me around the bed? That would be you sunshine! Now bugger off," Donna commanded emphatically.

With this, she used what little light remained in the room from outside and proceeded towards the room she had first entered through.

"Oh come on. There's springs in the bloody couch."

"Concerned for me? Thought I'd never see the day," Donna huffed sarcastically, feeling her way with her feet toward the couch.

"Of course not. Just...damn it, get back in here!"

"Don't order me around like I'm some dyslexic secretary from your campaign party!"

"I can do whatever I want to. I'm the Mas-."

"Master of annoying assholes, probably yeah."

"Donna!"

"Harry!"

"I told you not to bloody call me that anymore you insufferable, erratic human."

"I forgot you inbred, perverted Time Lord."

As if the electricity was personally listening in to the conversation, the lights chose in that moment to come back on. Luckily, Donna had made it to the couch without breaking anything but when she peered behind her, she was surprised that Harry had followed her into the room.

"Fine then, get the hell out of here!" Harry shouted.

"Actually, I think I've changed my mind. Maybe I'll just take your covers and blanket and see if I can slumber on the floor," Donna replied in thought.

An irritated sigh came out of the Time Lord who was moving in on the red head.

"You would not have survived long had you been around when I was prime minister."

"That's funny cause Martha said the same thing. But I don't believe either of you."

"Why not?"

"Well...it's been about a half hour since I got here and I'm still alive."

"Just. Barely."

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing."

"Speaking of nothing, tell your Time Lord hormones to sit still or else you'll get a very rude awakening from my knee."

"..."

"What? Did I make myself clear?"

"My what?"

Donna struggled to keep her smile down but the abashment on Harry's face made her laugh so hard that it was louder than the thunder which rattled the old house. Eventually however, Donna ceased her laughing and found herself surprised that Harry was still for once, no hate in his eyes.

And in that moment, Donna knew that she had this. She felt all the power that the Time Lord was trying to take from her, shift into her favor and suddenly, the topic of seduction seemed as casual as drinking four vodkas in 15 minutes. She was unsure what actually caused this sudden rush of confidence but it took a long time coming.

"You know...I'm kind of surprised you're so tolerant toward me. A stupid, waste of space, ex-companion of the Doctor's, human," Donna explained, running a hand through her hair once.

"Oh I've been married to a stupid, waste of space, human before. An ex-companion of the Doctor's only makes the resume more exciting," Harry admitted cockily, watching Donna take small steps toward him slowly.

"Mmmm...well I guess I'll just get to the topic then. Do you want to shag me?" Donna boldly asked.

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed that chapter and I'll probably get the next chapter up tomorrow. You can all probably guess what's going to happen in that one ;). And one other quick side note. There might be some people who aren't convinced that Donna would actually pursue bantering with the Master so aggressively, and there might be truth to that, but in my story I'd like to think that she doesn't even really know what she's got herself into, especially when she ignores Martha's warnings of not going to search for him. Donna's pretty much forcing herself to see past all the evil and hate, just to spite the Doctor. Anywho, reviews and feedback is always appreciated, thanks!<strong>


	9. Pretty Decent for a Blondie

**And the plot thickens...as does my writing since this next part is the first time I've written the processions of well...whatever it is the Master and Donna are into ;). Hopefully not too atrocious and believable between the two. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Pretty Decent for a Blondie<strong>

A flurry of emotions passed Harry's eyes and he knew she was watching so he made delicate care to show her the disgust and revulsion that he pushed to make prominent. But the attempt was over before it even began because he finally understood that this wasn't a typical human. This was a Doctor's former companion and if she had been around the Doctor long enough, and if she had gotten to know the Doctor, which Harry believed she had, then the fiercely hidden lust in his eyes was the only thing she noticed. This slightly made him uneasy but with her gradual steps toward him, all the unease began to fade away.

Donna didn't take his face into her hands or lightly brush away a stray blond lock from his eye. No, she dove for his lips and wrapped her arms around his naked torso with a hungry endeavor because that's how he wanted it.

Their kiss was heated, a tangle of teeth and a feeble struggle for dominance. To Donna's surprise, he was the first to let out a deep, guttural moan from his chest as his hands completely pulled Donna's form into his body. Like overly volatile fingers, Harry's kept clawing at the green fabric of Donna's shirt, begging it to disappear but unwilling to let go the raging battle of lips and tongue.

Donna shrank back from Harry suddenly, only to lightly push his pale body toward the bedroom. Or what could be called a bedroom because Donna was quite sure that this was the strangest place she'd ever shagged a bloke in.

"See, what did I tell you about being more appealing with your mouth closed?" Donna whispered as her hands began exploring the aged muscles above his shoulder blades.

Harry's reply was lost in the second moan he let out. It'd been so long since he'd felt such fulfilling physical contact with another person. Contact that he actually was hungering for. Not only that but the drumming in his head had started to become in sync with his blood pulsing in his body, carrying a whole new message that Harry for once was happy to oblige.

Their lips met again, this time more apt to just allow taste rather than submission.

When Harry bit down on Donna's lip, a moan passed her before her mind could process the stinging that he greedily lapped up. His fingers began an impatient wandering under her shirt and lit her cool skin on fire. Bypassing her bra strap, Harry only laid his palm flat onto her shoulder and attempted to pull her further into him.

The hunger he was experiencing now was unlike any he'd ever had before. It gnawed at him to taste everything yet leave no sign of disorder. To conquer her lips but still allow the memorization of the taste. To steal her body yet allow her to have it back. All these conflicting needs only spurred him into a further rush as he felt himself fall back onto the soft mattress beneath him.

Donna pushed herself off the Time Lord and hastily discarded her shirt. This was probably the only time that doubt filled her, but the hunger in his eyes kept her confidence fueling as her fingers delved inside the denim fabric and slipped them off.

Although Donna hadn't dressed that morning for a seduction exactly, one could very easily admit the incredible appeal her tall body held. The black bra and matching underwear casted her pale skin to a godess like status as it glowed redeemingly before the Time Lord. The long, orange tresses - once dampened by the angry storm - now held a wet, woodland quality of a searing fire that if one touched, they wouldn't quite exactly be sure if it would burn them or not.

"Beautiful," escaped Harry's throat faster than realization hit of what he had just said.

Donna pretended not to have heard it however and only gave him a playfully suggestive look.

"Please don't tell me that you've done this with the Doctor," Harry complained suddenly as he slid his form further toward the head board of the bed.

For a second, Donna had no idea what he was talking about. And then, it all came rushing back to her. Sure she was in the process of seducing someone, but the reason why had remained oddly complacent until now. She had actually been getting into it.

_Get your head out of a bloody garden, Donna! This is the Doctor's enemy, the one who hates the entire human race and only causes mayhem and misery. He may be a pro in the bedroom but come morning and the only thing he'll see is a stupid, human girl that he may or may not choose to kill._

"Of bloody course not! I don't jump from Time Lord to Time Lord. Oh, that sounded really...sexual," Donna grinned.

With that, she climbed onto the foot of the bed and slowly began a crawl forward and over top the man who watched her in fascination and fervor.

"Just a word of warning, _earth girl._ This position isn't going to last long."

Rolling her eyes at his dominance, Donna began planting wet kisses on the indentation between his neck and his stubbled jaw line.

"And neither are you," she softly assured back, folding her body down upon his near naked one.

He was right and soon after Donna's kisses started trailing to his throat, Harry had flipped them over so he was the one on top. Oddly enough, there was no gloating on his face. Only a never ending cycle of need, want, and lust.

When they had both finally completely unclothed and the sound of the storm outside became miniature in comparison to the needful moans and frequent whimpers that were thrown carelessly into the room which had permanently fell into darkness, their climax began building at a pace unlike either of them had ever experienced.

What this extraordinary build up did for Donna was amplify everything that was going on to such an extreme that she could feel, taste, and experience every single neuron, each cell, each particle that longed for contact, and inflict it upon the Time Lord who was undeniably surprised at this collision. However, he only followed this extensive force and extracted the same amount of feeling and energy into Donna as she had into him.

As the release came over them like an Alpine avalanche, Donna's eyes stared up at the white ceiling above her, the Doctor's face appearing in her mind. He held one of those irritating expressions on his face in which he was chiding her like she was an incompetent little girl.

_Not tonight Doctor. Not tonight because I'm protected in the arms of your enemy and there's not one bloody thing you can do about it!_

The face of the Doctor's shifted into one of shock and indecision. Were there actual words coming out of his dismayed lips, they of course would have asked her what she thought she was doing and tried to tell her that this wasn't like her.

With this, Donna only smiled as her release consumed her and in the lowest tone she could utter, the Doctor's name slipped past her lips in true victory.

When Harry heard her small proclamation, he too pretended not to have heard it. Besides, his mind was so enraptured with the opportunity he had to finally get back at the Doctor.

_Oh it'll be marvelous telling him how his stupid human companion had came at me, so wanton and in need of something only I could provide her. The look on the Doctor's face will be..._

He leaned in to the tempting kisses that he could never seem to pull his mouth away from. Then gasped as she began kissing down his chest with the smallest graze of teeth across his shivering skin.

_Although who could resist this? Definitely pretty decent for a..._

Donna's teeth had returned to his neck and nipped at his pulse point which made Harry nearly lose control of all his emotions again.

_Isn't she experienced? Much better than Lucy...oh so so so much better..._

Her hand had been steadily trailing a path across his back with just the tips of her fingernails, but hard enough that it would leave temporary white scratch marks.

After this, he allowed himself to forget and to not think because his release was coming again and he didn't think he could accurately process another thought.

When the second climax released itself, their bodies were in perfect synchronicity. Harry had to bite down on Donna's neck or else he would have cursed embarrassingly loud in Gallifreyan for there was no proper language to describe what was happening between them.

Donna simply grasped on to his slick, sweated shoulders and finally felt what it is that Angelica must have. All lingering bouts of betrayal? Gone. All self hating and worthless feelings against herself? Gone. All processions of hurt, guilt, heartache, misery, humiliation? Gone. It was all gone from her body and Donna could only smile in gratitude at the disapproving ceiling.

As their bodies finally stilled, spent from the intensity of the night, Donna began poking the Time Lord's shoulder above her.

"Oi, get off sunshine! Still need to breathe down here."

"Hmmm? Oh now wouldn't that just be a lovely way for me to kill you? Suffocated to death from the aftermath of sex."

Still, he did manage to lift himself off and lay his weary body next to hers.

A poignant silence fell between the pair as Donna listened to Harry's breaths slow. He'd be asleep in a few minutes. There was still a bit of guilt left over in Donna however, this time regarding Harry because she had just used him so easily. However, she snapped herself out of these thoughts when she thought of all the people he'd probably used in his lifetime. Probably far out numbered hers, and he most likely felt no remorse for them.

Yet, she felt obliged to say something as an almost appreciative gesture just to let him know that it was a very, very good time. In fact, and Donna would never ever have admitted it out loud in a hundred years, it was probably the best shag of her life.

"Well, you were pretty decent...for a blondie," Donna gently commented, her eyes submitting themselves into the same slumber as the figure beside her was indulging in.

A satisfied smile from the Time Lord was her only reply as he fell into a sleep, for once in his long life, completely free from the sound of drums.

On the other side of the city, a very disgruntled Doctor was having an incredibly difficult time trying to get some rest. His head had been bombarded with emotions that weren't his own and could only have been the other Time Lords. However, instead of expecting them to be sullen or spiting, they ended up translating as pleased and euphoric. Dare he even mention it but the Doctor thought he even detected something close to...but no. What could the Master possibly be doing that would make him feel this way?

It was with that unsettling thought that the Doctor found himself drifting off in, aware that somehow in someway, things would be drastically different in the morning.

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><p><strong>Let your reviews inspire me because I need some to start writing the next chapter. And I hoped you liked what you've just read. Hit me up on your opinions through a review.<strong>


	10. Love & Traffic

**As always, thank you for the reviews. It makes me excited that I'll have an audience to throw in future twists and turns to because I guarantee you that this story is far from being over. And, it's the longest one I've written so far with this being the 10th chapter. One of my biggest problem is that I sometimes jump from action to action too quickly so it makes the whole scene seem unrealistic. Alot of my stories ended too quickly and were too rushed. That is why there are chapters like this next one where basically, the characters can get their thoughts together as can I and then blind side you with crazy plot twists and strange character developments. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Love &amp; Traffic<strong>

The first thing that scared Donna Noble when she woke up on the morning after shagging Harry Saxon was said mans arm. How did it scare her? Well…it was slung over her waist and unnecessarily tight in its grip, keeping her very naked body, very much near his. She tried rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and then glaring behind her at the Time Lord but he was out deep, a calm smile on his dormant face.

Outside was still dark, in dawn's first breaths of morning, but the storm had successfully passed by. Guessing it to be sometime around six in the morning, Donna, with a very large smile on her face, began trying to free herself from Harry's grip. Her smile still held fast on even as Harry only seemed to want to tug her back further, lessening her minimal progress. Although she was aware that he probably didn't know he was doing this, the last thing Donna wanted was to have him wake up. Not only would that be entirely awkward, but his emotions may have drastically shifted since they'd shacked up together the night before.

"Oi, c'mon you ponce. I'm not a bloody stuffed animal," Donna couldn't help but quietly groan out.

Still in a dreaming state, Harry only made a disagreeing noise in the back of his throat before loosening his arms slightly. However, this was all the time Donna needed as she flung her naked body out of his arms and out of the bed. To her amazement, she watched an angry frown escalate over his face once his hand felt nothing but emptiness beside him. After awhile of fruitless searching, the tired hand quietly retired.

Donna then began the fun task of searching for her clothes. Throughout this process, not a single guilty thought grasped itself onto her conscious. In fact, her conscious was entirely at ease.

_We shagged him_, her conscious informed her dreamily.

_Yeah, we did._

_He was really, really good._

_I'll admit to that._

_I mean really, REALLY good._

_Alright, quiet you._

And on Donna went, searching blindly for her underwear that she remembered Harry throwing wildly across the room, at the time, intent on her never finding them.

_Next time I'll get bloody a glow in the dark pair._

Despite the light from the street lamps outside, the darkness in the room was foreboding, as if the emotions previously held by the stumbling redhead, were electrifying the atmosphere. Of course this was a ridiculous notion, but Donna did her best not to think too deeply on what had just occurred and only on the day's plans. What was she going to say to the Doctor? No, scratch that. HOW was she going to say it to the Doctor?

Finally finding her discarded underwear near the closet, Donna felt pleasurable aches erupt in the innards of her thighs.

_Oh yeah, that's gonna stay with me all day. _

Ignoring the smile that wanted to burst out regarding last night's activities, Donna crept toward the foot of the bed and began throwing on her pants and shirts. Half way in the process, she stopped suddenly. Harry's incoherent mumbling greeted her ears. Scared that he might be waking up, Donna stood glued to the ground and watched the Time Lord shift once to his left – covers moving rapidly with him – and then more violently, shifting to his right.

"Don't-."

Staring through her orange bangs, Donna's lips contorted into a concerned frown.

Against her better judgment, she slowly tipped toed over to the Time Lord whose face since she had left it, had delivered a fresh drench of sweat underneath his bangs. Moving erratically underneath his lids were his eyes as the lines in his face gradually twisted into pain.

"Save-don't. Please-never ends. Theta."

The words came out as hushed pleadings, but strained in sorrow nonetheless.

Although Donna was completely dressed and aware that if Harry was to wake up at this exact moment or anytime soon, things would not go well for her, she ended up sharing the same sentiment from the Doctor.

Beyond any words, any unimaginable atrocities he'd committed, and beyond all hate that consumed him, there was still so much pain within the Time Lord. Pain that stung and bit and drummed unrelentingly, never releasing its hold on him. Pain that couldn't be released through a night of shagging. Donna understood this as being another front that he had built because who truly wanted to admit to having hurt feelings? She obviously didn't and it took shagging an evil Time Lord to prove that.

_He really needs the Doctor._

And Donna didn't think she'd thought any truer words.

Another violent twist of the head had her reach out her hand before she knew she was even doing it, and place her thumb on his forehead and fingers on his temple.

_Surely you're not nearly that bad of a bloke as everyone says you are. I mean, I know you're evil but..._

Martha's terrified face flew into Donna's mind as she related the stories of what had occurred on board the Valiant. The torture, the suffering. The unimaginable death.

_Damn it. What would the Doctor do? I can't just clear off and leave him so bloody distraught._

Hesitantly, Donna brushed Harry's forehead softly once, numb to the tingle that had just erupted in between her fingers and his forehead. However, she wasn't blind to the auric silky strand of light that descended from within her fingers, into the Time Lord's head. It was softly caressing the outside of his skull before entering his mind and then repeating the process. Where that just came from or how she did that, remained unclear.

_God, I hope that did something good._

Once the last strand entered the Time Lord's head fully, it disintegrated and changed the features of the man who was lying on the bed, almost immediately. His erratic eyes that had been moving abnormally quick, stilled into a casual pace. With her fingers, Donna felt his sweaty, pale head began to cool into the temperature of the room. All violent movements ceased as a firm relaxation tugged itself into his limbs.

_Well, thanks for the shag mate, even if you're a complete nutter. I'll make sure the Doctor finds you._

The city began waking up around Donna as she started on her journey home. There was no doubt in her mind that the Doctor was with Wilf and her mum because just a few minutes ago she'd stopped by a bus stop, closed her eyes, thought of the man's goofy grin and caught him sleeping inside her mum's home. Whatever this strange gift was, she'd have to have a very long discussion with the Doctor about it among the many other strange things that just seemed to be projecting from her thoughts or her fingers without explanation.

Then there was the strange bit about only hearing drumming when she thought of Harry. She'd never had so many issues with this Time Lord side of her back before the Doctor erased her memories. Yet, Donna wondered again that because of the Time Lord intelligence she no longer held, these extra abilities may be the substitutes. But even the Doctor never was able to do anything like this.

"Hey, wait up!"

Spinning her head to the left, Donna slowed her walking as a woman began running to her side. Six o clock long gone, the sun began pulling its sleepy, raging eye up as Big Ben in the distance indicated it was seven o clock.

_My god, I'm going to lose some serious pounds walking across London__._

"Sorry, I just recognized ya. We met yesterday on the side walk on Leggins Street. I told you about that soap opera. How've ya been?"

Recollection hit Donna as the woman, this time in a maroon suit, began walking with her.

"I've been...decent. Really decent. And you?"

"Oh I've been great. Made a huge sale yesterday and hopefully have enough cash to move out of my flat and into the country. Hear it's absolute magic out there. Ever been?"

"No, not really. I tend to stay in the city," Donna hesitated, thinking of all the strange planets she'd been to, "and then the occasional out of this world trip."

"Fascinating. My name's Vanessa. Probably wondering what I'm doing on this side of town?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Donna. Yeah, I thought you worked in the districts near-."

"Not anymore. Since yesterday's sale, my job promotion's got be running about on these parts. But I wouldn't change it for anything. How about you? What's around here for you?"

Pausing, Donna gazed around at the awakening streets and murmuring city.

"I had an...acquaintance of mine about thirty miles back. Stayed the night there."

"And they made you walk home?"

"Yeah, but it's not a problem. I'm feeling great and it looks like it's gonna be a glorious day."

"That's great! Compared to yesterday, you were looking like you just wanted to crawl in the gutters or something. Do you need a ride? I've got my car with me and traffic is really minimal right now. Usually that way until it gets to seven thirty. Then things are mad out on the roads. I'm heading back to Leggins anyway to get the rest of my paper work."

Feeling her mood improve even more, Donna happily accepted the ride back.

"Do you feel like going to Chiswick?"

"Not a problem. I've got an old boyfriend who lived near those parts. Name was Shaun Temple, maybe you might have heard of him?"

Nearly tripping over the pavement, Donna felt her smile evaporate.

"Yeah, I know Shaun. He and I...well, we were kind of dating. We are. Dunno, I guess we kept on getting in a lot of fights."

"Really? What are the bloody chances? Although, it's pretty typical for him to be the nice guy in the beginning. Pampers you, asks you about your day, and all that other rubbish. Then he gets to be a real pain in the ass when he bugs ya about what you're going to do with work. I was a waitress down on East Smithfield. Not the best pay in the world but we were getting by. Then he starts bugging me about income and finance. I tell him that he's not doing much to help support, ya know?"

Donna nodded her head quickly, stopping by the door of Vanessa's car.

"Turns it all about, saying how I need to bring home some money. Well, even though I did eventually kick him to the curb, he did motivate me to look for a higher paying job. Probably living heftily thanks to him. But I'll warn ya now, he's only looking for money. You look like a smart woman so I'm telling ya just to be careful and not be too surprised when you wake up one morning with your wallet missing."

Staring out at the empty street, Donna shook off the amused grin that wanted to settle itself on her lips.

_I haven't thought about Shaun in...two days. And I'll be damned if I feel the slightest bit of guilt for that wanker._

Sliding into the car and letting out a sigh of relief as her tired legs finally had time to rest, Donna leaned her head back, refusing to think about anything having to do with Time or Lords or any combination of the two words.

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At about the same time that Donna accepted Vanessa's ride, the Master woke up alone in his bed. Now that Donna is gone and her stubborn refusal to call the Master by his name has dispersed, the Master is back to just being the Master. Unless he was to encounter Donna again and Donna being the strong personality she is, will only refer to him as Harry. A bit of a confusing name tag shift, but it'll have to suffice.

Anywho, surprise couldn't escape the Master's features when he realized that she was gone. The human had actually left him before he could leave her. Or at least gloat in her face about what he'd just taken from her. It wasn't disappointment because the Master refused to feel that, but a mere bother that he wasn't going to be able to insult somebody early in the morning. Especially for actions that she had taken.

Still, something else was off about the morning. Outside, the daily garbage truck roared by. Although no trash was picked up on this route, the Master learned after observing that it was routine for the truck to take this street nonetheless. In the distance, birds could be heard chirping away. Even further still, traffic was just beginning to gravitate toward central London.

And then he had it. He could actually hear these things. Clearly and perfectly with no intervening from...

_The drums...they're...gone._

Flipping himself hastily off the bed, the Master slowly walked around, making sure it wasn't a trick. He picked up one of his books from off the ground and thumbed his way through the pages, the rustling proclaiming an ancient flutter. Throwing it down, he then ran to the other side of the room and opened up the window. Sticking his head out, the Master picked up small bits of a conversation that the garbage man was having at the unnecessary traffic light on the vacant street. The man always told himself that he'd run straight through the red one of these days, but he always found himself stopping for it.

"Can't be," the Master muttered.

He remembered before he'd fallen asleep that the drums had ceased momentarily. But they came back just as strong during his nightly dreams of Gallifrey as they always did. Or nightmares.

The nightmare was worse than all the others ones he'd had in the previous two years and he found himself just wishing for the noise to kill him. At first, he hadn't even registered the presence of a weight on his forehead. He'd thought that maybe the Doctor was trying to get into his mind again. However, after the presence disappeared, the drums quit altogether.

Shaking his head, the Master sat back down on the bed. He didn't know what had happened to suddenly make the drums stop, but he knew it had something to do with the human girl. Too much of a coincidence to just have her appear in his life one night, and gone the next morning, along with the drums in his head.

For once, the Master was left at a stand still on what do to. He very much wanted to find the Doctor and enlighten him of what he'd done with his companion. Former companion. The hurt that would grace the Doctor's face only served to put the Master in that much of a better mood. However, he wanted to interrogate the human girl too. She must have done something to erradicate the drums in his head.

But if he was to gloat to the Doctor about his victory, he knew that no way in hell would she even consider talking to him. In fact, she'd probably clunk him over the head. Had a fire to her that made the Master reluctantly was impressed with. Yet if he took the time to try and get answers out of her, the Doctor wouldn't learn of what he did until a later time, if at all.

Oh the decisions he suddenly had to make were entirely burdening.

Flashes of the night before kept on trying to intrude into his mind but the Master wasn't letting them. It felt too good to just finally have silence after so many centuries of constant drumming. Even as he thought about them now, he couldn't properly believe that they were actually gone.

Finding his feet moving toward the closet, the Master pulled on new clothes of a black sweatshirt and black pants. Then kneeling down, he retreated the object that was folded within his other clothes. Sliding it into his pants pocket, the Master swept his hand through his blond hair once. Unfortunately, he actually had to look presentable today.

Finally, after he had everything he needed and he didn't look like he'd just crawled out of the sewers, the Master walked out the door of the abandoned house.

His destination was a telephone box a few blocks away, but he walked with his head low and hood over his head. The decision he was struggling to make kept on blockading his restful mind. Witness the Doctor's most likely pained and hurt face or to get answers from the redhead? Had he asked himself this question a day earlier, there would be no doubt in his mind that he would have loved to see the Doctor suffer through irrelevant emotions. But the curiosity was building the longer his mind was free of the drums, on how exactly she'd managed to extract them from him. There was always the possibility that she had nothing to do with it, but he doubted this.

_What was it she had said? I'm special._

_Yes, _the Master grinned, _truly special indeed._

But the nearer to his destination that the Master got, the more obvious it was that he still hadn't made his decision. He didn't know exactly what was so bloody hard about it. He loved causing misery, especially onto the Doctor. Who cares if the human girl got embarrassed and in trouble over it? The more victory for him. But it was unlikely that she would have. The Master had an uncanny ability to pick out the little characteristics of a human, often those characteristics were their downfall. For Donna however, the Master felt at odds with her.

_Doesn't listen to what I say. Loud. Stubborn. Intelligent...to a certain degree._

And while most humans were easily figured out by this point, the Master had a hard time trying to decipher how he could break the human down.

_She moaned the Doctor's name._

While this was supposed to be a comforting thought to the Master because it let him know the true extent in which she cared for the Doctor and care was such an easy weakness to destroy, he instead felt a bitter anger towards the fact.

_Hell, I wouldn't have minded if she would have moaned my human name._

Because instead of this being a point of victory for the Master, it instead turned into another harsh realization that the Doctor was always present in their minds. Through his good and damn understanding, the Doctor was never too far away from hope and love. And the humans absolutely adored that.

"Hey mate, do you want something to eat? I've got fresh fish and chips," a vendor who had been setting up early, asked.

The Master ignored the razor pains in his stomach, and instead only showed a wicked smile from beneath his hood as he stopped in his tracks.

The vendor was getting closer, rolling his equipment behind him.

When they were only a few feet from each other, the Master lowered his hood slowly over his head. For some reason, the vendor was visibly shaken by the daunting face that revealed itself.

"Hmmm...what I really want is to boil your head in a pot of steaming water. How about that? Special of the day : human filth on a stick! Now, do you think that would sell fast? I know you humans are always so eager for something fattening and grease inhabited," the Master bit out, his voice raising in menace with every syllable.

The vendor didn't think as he pushed his cart away from him and took off down the street, away from the man who's eyes had meant every word he'd said.

Meanwhile, the Master felt a pang of displeasure. He was hoping for a little spar back or some kind of fight. But then he realized that that's what was also gone. Someone who could insult him. And while the Master didn't particularly keep his emotions in check when he was being insulted by the redhead last night, as obvious by their shagging, he couldn't deny that he felt thrilled at her defiance. But he didn't linger any longer on those thoughts because to admit that he missed the human's insults would lead to admit that he missed the human herself which was a truly repulsive thought.

When the Master had licked away the last of the salt from his fingers **(AN: was I the only one who couldn't stop staring at the Master's tongue in the End of Time when it was licking the wrapper? :D)**, he grabbed a napkin, wiped his face with it and threw it down on the tipped cart. He could never properly think without a full stomach.

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"Oi, turn on your fecking blinker!" Donna yelled at the car ahead of them.

Vanessa smiled approvingly as she honked her horn. They'd just managed to get back on the road after Vanessa had picked her files up on Leggins, when rush hour hit like a plague. For the next half hour, the two women were only busy shouting at the traffic that seemed to have complete twits moving it along.

"Can you believe this? The bloody light is green," Vanessa groaned out.

By the time they had gotten up to the traffic light however, it was back to a tomato red.

"Can't stand London traffic."

"Oh, it gets better in the evenings. S'pecially when all the pubs start opening up," Donna explained back.

"Do you go out often? Seems like you have a good time every day."

Donna laughed, placing her hand over her eyes.

"Yeah, I do."

Stilling her head, Donna raised her head and peered out of the window quizzically. Something about Vanessa's statement rang a bell in her head.

She'd been at a pub on the night before she'd gotten her memories back. From then on, it got blurry after the first four martinis. Then she remembered very distantly, stumbling her way home after Stacy had left without her. She'd gotten to mum's and then passed out in her room.

_Which means that whatever happened to me, happened at the pub. Or after I'd gotten to sleep._

Biting her thumb out of nervous habit, Donna found her gaze transported to the driver of the car.

Vanessa was a great girl. Funny, smart and knew London in and out. She'd been working for two years now in selling products from bankrupt companies. If the product sold for a grand amount, she got 10% of the profit. If not, she'd pitch it, still get money for trying and start all over with a new product.

"The best products," Vanessa had informed Donna, "are electronics. People want to get about without hassle. They want to communicate without asking a repairman to go on over and check wires or systems. Sold a new version of a television with practically a nonexistent screen. The television though, operates as an entertainment guide, internet, webcam for the world and basically anything else you can think of. Sold for 50,000 pounds. 50,000! Although I know now why the place went out of business. Ridiculous amount of money for that kind of stuff but people want it."

She'd even offered a ton of jobs that she promised could give Donna her own place. Of course Donna thought about them because while her memories did all of a sudden come back and the Doctor was back on Earth, it didn't mean she would be carted off onto another adventure in the Tardis as soon as she got back home. In fact, Donna would be surprised if the Doctor let her anywhere near the Tardis after what she was going to tell him. So despite her deep wish to just be able to forget about the realities of human life, Donna knew that she had to have support if things all came crashing down again.

After another half hour of impatient honking and language that even Donna was shocked she let out of her mouth, her mum's house had appeared.

"Thanks for the ride. I dunno how I can make it up to you."

"Not a problem Donna. How about this? We'll meet on Leggins on Friday afternoon and you can tell me what you think."

"Think about what?" Donna questioned.

"The newest episode of Tears of My Beloved. Anything could happen."

"Oh, I dunno if I can sit through it. My mum might bust the telly in her anger."

"If that happens, I'll fill ya in. See ya later."

"Bye."

With that, Vanessa took off and left Donna alone in front of her house. Unsurprisingly, her heart had picked up but she tried to remain calm. It was a struggle to realize that she'd only left this house yesterday morning and came back a day later, having shagged the Doctor's enemy.

_If I could get things accomplished this quickly everyday, I still wouldn't be living with mum and gramps._

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The Master let out a triumphant yell as his finger circled over the Noble house number three times. While that could be informative to anyone, what he was happy about was the address that lingered right next to the number.

A loud knock greeted his ears from behind him.

"Hey buddy, are you going to be in there all day? I've got some very important calls to make," a man called from outside the box.

_American. I should have known._

Instilling the best smile of a man who'd innocently forgotten the time, the Master opened the telephone box and gestured the American man inside.

The man looked uncertain. While he wasn't a hefty fellow, he still doubted that he could fit inside with the other man occupying it.

"You know on second thought, I think I'll just go search for another one."

"Oh no, I insist," the Master replied, tugging the man inside the box.

With a firm slam of the door, the American man found himself in only a three foot diameter away from the man across him.

Since it was the early hours and most workers were headed to work in central London, not many pedestrians martyred the streets. This made the man all the more nervous.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I could really go search for another one," the American said, noticing the slow deterioration of the man's friendly features.

"Shut up. You know, I wonder if anyone's ever been murdered in a phone box in the middle of a busy city like London? Oh I'm sure they have. After all, I did once destroy half of this world's population and some unlucky human must have been trapped in one. But me personally? No, I don't think I have. That is...not yet."

"Look, whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Money? I've got money."

"What part of shut up don't you understand," the Master venomously spat out, folding his hand around the man's pulsing throat.

"Please," the man quivered, unshed tears forming in his eyes, his hands fumbling to pull off the man's inhuman grip.

"Yes, that is what I love about you humans. Such pitiful little sheep you are. So unaware of so much. So insignificant that one of your death's makes no difference to the population around you. A man gets murdered in a phone box and all the city of London will do is become concerned about losing business and how much to pay the workers who'll be cleaning up the remainder of your body."

With every terrifying revelation, more oxygen was cut off to the man's throat.

"Isn't that just sad? To be surrounded by so many of your own kind, but to mean so little. So little that they decide to instill something into your head. Because what's it going to matter? Your race is far over 12 billion strong. What's it going to matter if they instill the drums of war inside some small little boy? And that's when you realize that your race isn't everything you thought it to be. That even if you're surrounded by that crowd, not a damn person will come to your rescue if you call for help. That no matter what, you remain alone. Always, alone," the Master darkly whispered out.

The fear inside the man's eye was supposed to be intoxicating to the Master. It was supposed to give him the green light to electrocute the man to death. Let him know who the supreme being was. But as with others before, only despair and loneliness filled him. Despair when he thought of his race and loneliness when he realized that there was no longer a burning satisfaction at a human's death. He would've rather killed the hostile Time Lords from two years ago, the Master admitted, then waste his efforts on some stupid human.

So the Master released his grip from around the sputtering man's throat and pushed him none too gently into the door.

"Get out before you become tomorrow's front page news," the Master warned threateningly. And this time, he meant it. Just because he didn't feel like killing for pleasure, didn't mean he wouldn't.

Forgetting to intake oxygen, the American fumbled with the snap of the door and finally released himself into safety. Or at least what he thought was safety because he didn't think he was truly safe until he was out of the man's sight.

And so the American ran, forgetting all thoughts of calling home to his pregnant wife.

Smiling to himself in demented mirth, the Master only went back to running his finger over the Noble's address. One of his hands slid into his pocket and revealed the teleportation device he'd had with him for two years.

_Oh Miss Noble, I think I've made my decision._

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><p><strong>Whew. I just kept on writing and writing until I couldn't exactly stop. Originally this chapter was a lot longer but I've decided to split it into two, to avoid overwhelming people with too much action and information. Let me know what you're thinking in a review.<strong>


	11. Why is There a Hole in My Heart?

**I've got four reviewers who review almost every chapter I update. I'm sure they know who they are so thank you. They help incredibly. And to everyone else who reviews, I thank you again. There's a storm brewing and the location is Donna Noble's house. Please, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Why is There a Hole in My Heart?<strong>

"Donna?" a hushed whisper asked.

Visibly jumping, Donna glanced up at the house and grinned as her mum ran over to her with a relieved smile.

"Hey mum," Donna mumbled, embracing her.

"Oh Donna! I thought you wouldn't ever come back. I was so afraid that the Master would hurt you," Sylvia commented, brushing away a strand of red from Donna's face.

"Him hurting me? Oh please. If anything, I think I hurt him more," Donna admitted, remembering all the scratching she'd done down his back. The throbbing in between her legs awoke hungrily at the thought.

"The Doctor is here!"

"Yeah, I know. Mum, this is going to sound incredibly mental...like one of your soaps-."

"Donna, listen. I have something very important to tell you. Something that I want you to think about before you jump back into time traveling with the Doctor."

"What are you going on about mu-?"

"Donna, please. Listen. Last night, when the Doctor and your gramps were talking, I listened in on their conversation," Sylvia relayed. "They were talking about your memory loss and gramps asked whether the Doctor had another way of going about your memories. Whether he actually had to have erased them."

"And?" Donna asked, trembling suddenly as her heartbeat picked up.

"There was another way."

The cold indifference of the words took awhile for Donna to properly ingest.

"What?" she then replied, a deadly fire making its way to her voice.

"You were a choice, Donna. Because if the Doctor hadn't erased your memories then he would have died. Regener-something or other."

"Regenerated," she answered back, steadily watching her mum with shaking blue eyes.

"Yes," Sylvia shouted in remembrance, "and if he had regenerated, then his next regeneration wouldn't have gone to look for the Master. He would only have gotten back to what was important which was saving the world. He explained it so strangely...that every regeneration has their own personality even as they retain all previous memories. But the Doctor didn't want to leave and he wanted to keep on searching for the Master, so he erased your memories."

Surprisingly, Donna managed to keep both of her feet firmly on the ground. There was no uneasy balance or anything...yet.

"How would me having kept my memories, killed him?" Donna found herself venting, anger she promised wouldn't surface, suddenly lacing her vocal chords.

And here came the feelings of betrayal and hurt and utter indignity. There went the respect and friendship Donna thought she and the Doctor shared.

"Because if I didn't take away your memories, I would have had to absorb the Time Lord essence in you. Too much of the essence would have killed me, since it was tainted already with your human DNA," the Doctor steadily finished, standing tall on the top step in front of the door.

"So you would have rather made sure that I regressed back into the innate Donna I was before I met you, then risk your life to save everything we'd experienced together?" Donna asked, her voice strangely void of all emotion.

The Doctor stared down at her with a shamed expression on his face. A few times, he opened his lips to say something consoling but none of it would be the truth.

"Yes," the Doctor admitted as he took a few steps forward.

Wiping away the stray tear that grazed down her eye, Donna lifted her head bravely to look at the Doctor.

"Well, Doctor," Donna laughed, "guess what?"

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The Master will admit that it'd been awhile since he'd last used any teleportation devices. Usually he either stayed inside the house or journeyed through the empty streets on the abandoned block. The teleporter device was only for emergencies. This fact became incredibly prominent when forgetting to check the fuses within the two year old device, the Master found himself teleporting INSIDE the Noble house instead of the real destination he wanted, fifty feet outside the home. So it did not come in total surprise when within seconds, he was tackled to the ground by a half naked Captain Jack Harkness.

"Stay down you filth," came the steely American voice into his ear.

Martha who had been beside him, folded a shocked hand over her mouth. In front of her was the man who still lingered in her nightmares and she didn't exactly know how to handle this sudden invasion.

"Martha, fetch me some rope, please," Jack demanded, keeping his knee firmly on the Master's back.

_That couldn't have gone any worse than if I had opened the door and greeted them all with a wave, _the Master grimaced frustratingly as Jack dug his knee further into his back.

Martha returned with white rope that Jack roughly tied the Master's hands with. He didn't use a simple knot but the more complicated ones that he'd normally reserve for the particularly out of control alien creatures they'd encounter at Torchwood. And he was anything but gentle.

"Where's the Doctor?" Martha asked.

Jack was about to reply when he noticed that the front door was slightly ajar at the end of the hallway. Half of the Doctor could be seen standing outside, not moving his lips but simply listening.

"Move it," Jack angrily commanded.

"Ooo, ooo. Touchy. What's gotten inside of the freak's trousers now? Actually, from what I've heard, what hasn't gotten inside of the freak's trousers?" the Master maliciously spat then accepted the brutal punch that Jack delivered, with a victorious smile.

His body was pushed toward the entrance where the Doctor stood on the step, oblivious to their presence behind him.

Jack was about to open his mouth when Martha had shushed him, ears perking up at the conversation that was going on below the Doctor.

The three inhabitants all listened to Sylvia's warning and then Donna's confusion. They all witnessed the discussion of how the Doctor always had another option for Donna besides erasing her memories. At that, Martha could only think how cruel once again, the Doctor had treated Donna. Jack was thinking along the same thoughts while the Master was absorbing this information with rapid speed, surprised to find that Donna had only gotten her memories back a day ago.

When the Doctor intervened into the conversation and affirmed Donna's beliefs, all three of the occupants behind him had felt completely different emotions. Martha was in an unrelenting sympathy towards her friend, only wishing that the hurt she was sure was in Donna's eyes now, could disappear suddenly. Jack on the other hand, tried to give reason to the Doctor's actions. He didn't just do things so blindly, so cruelly. Jack had really wanted to meet the redhead companion. But all attempts died when he heard the dead emotion in Donna's voice.

The Master? His was perhaps the most surprising. He felt an incredible anger consume him, but not at Donna. No, at the Doctor. While he did understand that the Doctor erased the human's mind in order to continue his journey searching for himself, which infuriated the Time Lord also because there he went on again, assuming he could save him, the true anger formed unexpectedly at the betrayal the Doctor had placed upon Donna. He didn't know where it had come from or how it had formed, but he had actually felt a strange sadness for her. It didn't last an overly long time but when it came, the emotion fueling it was titanic.

None of them inside could hear Donna's last words however as the sound of a gun being loaded, met everybody's ears, including those on the Noble front porch step.

Mickey stood with the gun, Wilf behind him.

"What's going on in there?" Sylvia shrieked as she ran up the steps and then gasped at the blond Time Lord who was the recipient of the pointed gun.

"Mickey, I want you to lower the gun, alright?" the Doctor carefully spoke, suddenly stepping back inside of the house.

Everyone seemed to ignore the redhead who stood brokenly on the side walk.

_He...he didn't need to have taken my memories. He could have had me remember. I would have helped him, the new him. I would have helped him find Harry. If only he would have..._

Another tear made its way grudgingly down her cheek, but after that, Donna promised no more. No more tears because they'd been expelled with her experience last night. But god did it sting a fierce one inside her heart though. Like the Doctor controlled the rotation of a knife and while it had stayed dull and unused, with every one of the Doctor's actions, the knife drove itself in with a renewed sharpness.

Donna admitted freely, it hurt like hell to be undervalued as a human being. To have the Doctor believe that everything she'd done, everywhere she'd traveled, all the people she'd helped, couldn't be outweighed in the end by his desire to find his friend and stay in his current body. That none of it really mattered.

And the funny thing was that it wasn't the other Time Lord's fault. She remembered Harry telling her that he didn't care whether the Doctor found him or not. That was two lost years she could have spent, traveling with the Doctor and bettering not just her life, but others around her.

"I'm going to kill him once and for all," Mickey promised, steadying his finger over the trigger.

The Master simply smiled, closing his eyes in bliss.

"Damn it Mickey, put down the gun. I'll take care of him," the Doctor instructed.

"Do you ever wake up with the one you love screaming in terror or begging in her sleep, not to die? Do you Doctor? Well that's what happens nearly every night that I'm with Martha. That kind of pain isn't something that goes away. But at least I can make her dreams safe by doing this," Mickey grounded out.

"Did you ever think that maybe the problem was you?" the Master suggested calmly, smile still lighting his face.

"Shut it," came four unanimous cries.

One from Jack, one from Martha and one from the Doctor.

The fourth one however, came from directly behind him and the Master opened his eyes in response to the familiar voice.

Donna stood there, her blue eyes transformed into rigid, sapphire crystals. Her mouth was set in a determined, pissed off line and she stood tall with her hands on her hip and attitude resonating off of her in waves.

"Mickey is it? Yeah, put down the gun, now," Donna ordered, taking a step in between Jack and the Doctor.

"Listen, I've got to-."

"If you don't put it down, you'll have to shoot me too," Donna sternly replied back, giving Jack a soft smile before intruding in between him and Harry who was actually the Master but as I reminded you back in chapter 10, if they were to meet again, the name tag would be shifted. Honestly, it'd just be easier if Donna learned the Master's...I mean Harry's real name. Ugh!

Mickey lowered the gun once he caught the danger lurking inside of Donna's irises.

"Alright, now we're all going to have a small chat in the living room in a little while. Jack, you go and get cleaned up. I may have always imagined what you would look like with a shirt off, but unfortunately mate, this isn't the time. And trust me, I never thought I'd hear myself saying that either. Mickey, you go calm down. We've got some liquor in the cabinet closest to the fridge. Oh don't think I didn't know about it mum. You've been only hiding it from yourself. Martha, could you and mum go upstairs and search my room for some sort of transistor. The cell phone you gave me is busted and I'm gonna see if I can fix it. Gramps...excellent to see you! Doctor," Donna acknowledged, letting a heavy breath out, "put Mr. Saxon somewhere where he can't escape. The last thing I want to spend doing today is cleaning up blood stains."

For a moment, everyone in the room stayed still as if the demands were having trouble being interpreted.

"NOW!" Donna yelled, throwing her hands up encouragingly.

In a second, the whole house flung into motion as Martha and Sylvia raced upstairs, Mickey headed straight to the kitchen, Jack ventured back to the nearest bathroom where he'd been getting ready, but not before throwing Donna a flirtatious smile. Beside her, the Doctor tried to make eye contact with Donna but she merely stared at her gramps who waited for Donna's commands to be followed by the Doctor.

"Feisty," Harry had managed to whisper into Donna's ear before the Doctor finally pulled him away.

Once the Time Lord's breath had disappeared from her neck, Donna lunged herself at her gramps.

"Oh Donna, dear, I didn't want you to have learned it that way. You know the Doctor had to make a difficult decision."

Smiling, Donna laughed at her gramps. He would follow the Doctor to the end of the world, and then back again. Maybe he should have been the Doctor's companion.

"It's alright gramps. I think the Doctor had his mind made up as soon as he found out Harry was alive," Donna spoke.

"Why do you call him Harry?" her gramps asked, a soft smile of confusion beaming his lips.

"I dunno. The "Master" seems so...silly. Like a name a child makes up. Besides, do you really like calling him the "Master"? Not very appealing if you're trying not to be afraid of him."

"Too true, love. We'd thought you were going to be in grave danger. Martha had mentioned that you were going to find the Mas-I mean, Harry. She wouldn't explain why though. Did you do it then Donna, did you search for him? You must have as he appeared here just as your mum saw you outside."

"Yeah, I did," was all Donna said.

Realizing that those were going to be her only words, Wilf simply hugged his granddaughter tighter to him, relieved at her safety.

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"How wonderful it is to see you again, Doctor. I've heard that you've been tearing apart universes to find me. And apparently your companion's mind," Harry chided as he was pushed down into a chair.

No reply came from the Doctor who was busy with his sonic screwdriver, trying to mend the rope around the chair instead of just around the Time Lord's bound wrists.

"You want to know a secret Doctor?" Harry asked.

The Doctor only pressed a set of buttons, successfully binding the Time Lord to the chair.

"It's got to do with your companion. Or former companion, as she informed me," Harry mockingly jeered.

"Will you shut it? I've got enough problems to deal with and as much as it'll hurt your gigantic ego, you're not a major priority right now," the Doctor bit out harshly, dashing out of the room to find Donna.

Harry grinned happily. Oh he had never seen the Doctor so worked up before, especially over a companion.

_This is going to be fun._

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"Is this it?" Martha asked, pressing the black object into Donna's hand.

Glancing at it, Donna nodded her head in approval.

"Donna, I had no idea you had engineering skills," Sylvia approved.

"I don't. Just had to add in that part cause I was on a roll. But I'm sure gramps, you can fiddle around with it. I'd hate to give it back broken," Donna answered to Martha.

"Oh, no problem. Although, I thought it was only the part that the Doctor installed which was damaged. The whole phone's got problems now?"

Donna hid her guilty smile as she remembered just exactly what had happened to the cell phone in her pocket. It'd been given a good kick during some salacious nighttime activities.

"Yeah. Dunno, must have affected the whole system or something. Listen, I'm going to go shower. I wreak of god knows what," Donna stated.

"Donna-."

"Not now Doctor. I'm heading to the bathroom," she heatedly replied, throwing a hand into his face as she strolled past him.

He only stood still in his spot, her words giving off the exact feeling of disgust he knew he deserved.

"Donna! I heard you're in need of a bathroom," Jack commented, springing out of the bathroom adjacent to the kitchen.

"Again Jack, not the time. But I truly appreciate your gesture. Maybe one day I'll fall down, break my hip and you can be there to take me into as many showers as you want. For now, just keep a look out on Saxon in the kitchen," Donna replied, strumming her thumb across Jack's cheek once.

Jack smiled happily, shuffling his way into the kitchen.

By the time everyone's duties had been done and Donna had hopped into the shortest shower of her life in which she allowed stubborn, straying tears to dive into the drain, the mood in the house was electrifying to say the least.

There was Martha and Mickey sitting on the furthest table away from the captured Time Lord, holding each others hands quietly. Jack stood nearest to the bound Time Lord, kicking at the chair legs every so often to annoy the blond man. Sylvia stood alongside Donna while Wilf gravitated in his usual place near the Doctor who'd tried to keep on catching Donna's eye, but was hazardously denounced by Sylvia's hostile glare.

"Alright, so now that we're all gathered about, I've got something to say," Donna announced, her eyes accidentally strolling toward Harry's who gazed back at her with a suggestive interest.

The occupants of the room all perked up at her voice and then flung expectant stares toward the Doctor.

"Something's happened to me, besides the memory return I mean. I can...I have these strange abilities that I can't quite describe. They were nothing like the ones I had when I was the DoctorDonna. They seem more...unbelievable perhaps. Even a bit like magic. Like stuff you hear in fairy tales," Donna explained, taking a few steps forward before finally connecting her eyes with the Doctor's interested brown ones.

"Such as what?" he asked.

He was all business now, his scientific mind taking over the sorrow that laid earlier in his eyes.

"Premonitions. I found Martha by just thinking about her and then listening to the conversation she was having with her mum. They discussed that they were going to a certain store and when I went there, the premonition or whatever it was, proved to be true. It's also happened when I thought of you, Doctor and your friend," Donna indicated, tilting her head toward the Time Lord. "Although, his situation was odd because instead of seeing his face, I only had the sound of drums to guide me. They began unimaginably soft until I followed them and they increased in volume gradually until I found him."

The Doctor's face turned into one of bafflement. Harry rolled his eyes at the Doctor's dramatic action, but inside, was just as confused. No one in their species had the ability to do that. Moreover, he realized that she'd been lying. She had seeked him out that night. For what reason, Harry found himself wanting desperately to know.

"But that's not all. I um," Donna stated, nervousness attacking her hands all of a sudden, "when I found Saxon and when he was asleep, I placed my hand on his forehead and a strange gold light ejected itself out of my fingers and into his head. It happened for about two minutes before it stopped. I dunno if it did anything."

This admission had a monumental effect on the residents of the home.

"Why would you ever touch that monster?" Sylvia shouted in aghastment.

"Golden light? Is that normal, Doctor?" Wilf asked, bewilderment striking his old features.

"Well, depends on what you define normal," the Doctor admitted, digging his hands deeply into his pockets.

Donna couldn't look at the Doctor for more than a few minutes at a time. If she did...well she was afraid that Harry wouldn't be the Doctor's biggest problem. Speaking of Harry, Donna turned her head toward him to see how he was taking all of this but she only beheld a shivering glare thrown her way.

Why wasn't he happy? Well, Harry was more embarrassed with the thought that she had witnessed him having one of his nightmares then the fact that she had actually touched him while he wasn't aware of it. He knew she probably got concerned at his actions, whatever it was that he had been doing while asleep and decided to try and be noble about them. How ironic. So it was safe to say that Harry wasn't too pleased that she'd actually saved him from the drums. He had been hoping that maybe she'd done something else or maybe the Doctor had given her something to give to him to relieve them. But no. It was her, a human, and that was humiliating because that only formed a bigger respect for her. She knew who he was and still, she tried to help him. How utterly stupid and brave.

"The only thing I can truly recommend is to figure out how you got your memories back in the first place. It's too exponential to think of all the different ways you could have gotten your abilities. If we find out how, that will narrow down the what," the Doctor proclaimed.

"But?" Donna noted, observing the Doctor's suddenly hesitant face.

"But I can't say that we're all going to like the results. Whether these abilities will be permanent, it isn't clear. Why your memories were given back to you? I imagine that wasn't by accident. In fact, Donna I really hate to say this-."

"Then don't," Sylvia cut in before Donna had a chance to say something.

"You think that if we don't find out anything, you want to erase my memories again?" Donna concluded evenly.

The Doctor nodded his head and the room's reaction was instantaneous.

"No," came from Martha and Jack while Mickey nodded his head in agreement.

Sylvia placed a protective hand over Donna's frame but Donna kindly shrugged it off.

Wilf wanted to agree with the others but he had such a large respect for the Doctor so he was only torn with looking between his granddaughter and the Doctor.

"It's up to me to make the difficult decisions sometimes," the Doctor reminded everyone.

"For god's sake, she just got them back. You know she's got a happier life with them. Do not take away my daughter's memories just because of your inability to solve a mystery," Sylvia courageously objected.

Donna gave her mum and appreciative look, shocked at the true power of those words. However, the biggest surprise was that she wasn't slapping the Doctor a fierce one across the cheek right now. She knew as soon as she'd started describing her abilities, the abnormalcy of them would make the Doctor nervous. But to actually hear him agree that it might be in his best decision to erase her memories again, still made her vibrate in anger.

Yet, she told herself to hold on to the last of her patience for the man. She knew it was a lot less than he deserved because the pain he implemented again, was still prominent inside of her. But, she wanted to give him the benefit if the doubt. Because once she let loose her frustrations, the whole room would be involved with them and she didn't quite want to lay all of that out on her friends, especially on Martha and Jack.

"We do not know the side effects of these abilities. Sure it's been easy going now, but what will happen if she continues to use them? Certainly something worse than her head exploding."

"But that didn't happen either, did it Doctor?" Sylvia answered back.

"Quiet! Now, I think it's in Donna's best interest to decide what to do. How about it Donna? Do you want to figure out how you got your memories back or do you want to have them erased again?" Martha suggested calmly.

The Doctor stared unblinkingly at Martha and then back at Donna. This time, Donna made full eye contact with the Doctor and cringed slightly at the man she saw back. He was in full Doctor mode, but it was much colder. He actually believed that he knew what he was doing. That there was no alternative. She knew why he wanted to erase her memories now. It was because he couldn't stand her giving him the cold shoulder. Or looking at him like she just wanted to murder him.

It was that weakness that she picked out in the Doctor that truly made her happy knowing that they would never share that in common. She would always approach things, even the unpleasant ones instead of trying to ruin somebody else's life in order to keep her own.

"Doctor...remember how I was saying that I had something to tell you, back out there on the porch?"

The Doctor nodded his head, the intensity slightly lowering from his eyes and his true self creeping back.

"Well, I was good and pissed at you, right? After I woke up with my memories back yesterday morning. Wanted to find you and just...beat the living daylights out of you. Because guess what I'm going to admit, something that you won't? It hurt. The pain was utterly mindblowing, no pun intended. I loved you Doctor, as a best mate. And then you just dug into my heart as casually as one digs a hole into concrete. The tolerant part of me kept on telling me that you had no other choice, that this was the only alternative. You were saving me from death. But I knew that was a lie. There's always another way with you. Even now, knowing why you'd taken away my memories, the tolerant part of me keeps on wanting to say that you truly only want to help your friend. But guess what Doctor? I'm through with being tolerant," Donna ordered back.

"Donna, I'm truly sorry. I am. I hurt too when you were gone. But you've got to understand how important it was that I found the Master."

"Stop right there Doctor. What would you have done if you had found him? Cart him around in your Tardis? Try to keep him from being evil? Because there's something you don't know about him, that I do. And it only took me one night to learn it," Donna commanded, taking a short step away from her mum.

"And what's that?" the Doctor testily asked.

"That the last thing he wants," Donna commented back, fire back inside her vocal chords, "is to be restrained."

It was the look that she had gave him that truly spoke measures. The crystal blue in her eyes had melted into a ravaged cyan, with the events of last night, dancing a victorious dance. Staring back at the Doctor's confused features, she watched the steel brown in his eyes turn into a puddle of mud. Then understanding daunted and for some reason, Donna couldn't have been more relieved.

"You didn't," was his whispered retort. He was beyond angry.

"Yeah, actually I did. Tracked down Harry in my head, found him in an old house, let him know I wasn't one to be pushed around, seduced him like you WOULDN'T believe, and shagged him good and fair. And you know what Doctor? I looked up at the ceiling as he sent me over the edge and said your name like I'd never said it before. When I woke up the next morning, I only felt something that'd been strangely distant from me. Peace. I felt complete and utter peace," Donna commented back louder, ignoring the shocked gasps coming from inside the room.

It was like their arguement held the two in their own separate world with everyone else gone. Just the two of them staring each other down in a life or death situation.

She didn't have much time to understand the look that had suddenly possessed the Doctor's eyes as all reason left him. Before she knew it, his arms were around her and his lips mashed into hers with so much force that Donna couldn't properly think. His lips were invasive and jealous, striding to wipe away the words she'd just spoken. Fighting their own battle, his teeth were itching to join into the feeble struggle.

That is, before Donna pushed the Doctor's face from her and smacked him across the face with such power that the red print of her smack stayed painfully clear on his cheek.

"Don't you EVER do that again," Donna grounded out dangerously.

With that, she pushed past the Doctor whose face had erupted in horror after realizing what exactly he'd just done, past the table where Mickey and Martha were both standing at in shock, and past the refrigerator. Her hand shot out to grab the bottle of vodka that Mickey had been drinking from, and then Donna slammed the door, heading to a part of the house where she could promptly lock herself in and drink away all the guilt that was threatening to surface again.

No one in the kitchen tried to stop her. No one in the kitchen could really do anything except stand in shock.

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><p><strong>Yeah...so I gave Donna a lot more patience than she might actually have but I'd like to think that she'd really think over her situation before just lunging a full out attack at the Doctor. Hope you enjoyed that. Let me know what you're thinking in a review :)<strong>


	12. A Broken Heart Healed

**So I got mixed reviews from the last chapter as to what I did with it. For this chapter, I'm far happier with it. I hope you enjoy it as well and thank you exponentially for the reviews. They help more than you could ever imagine. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>A Broken Heart Healed<strong>

It'd been two hours since Donna Noble had stormed out of her kitchen, drink in hand and murderous thoughts rampaging. She'd considerably cooled down, but was feeling incredibly...thick. Thick and inconsiderate and wrong and all sorts of feelings. But she was never a woman to just allow herself to wallow in these sorrows. So, she played everything over from the beginning and tried to figure out what exactly had her spirits so damned low.

For starters, she admitted that she may have overreacted when her mum informed her about the Doctor's decision. While the thought of being picked last still hurt, she had forgotten that she wasn't the most important person in the universe anymore. Especially to the Doctor. It was this thought that led to her imagine what it would be like if she was the only one left of the human race. A great sense of loneliness of course would fill her, but then to find out that there was another one of your race left. Of course she'd bloody tear apart the world to find them. No matter how evil they were.

That had made her feel utterly sick because that's what led to her second bad feeling. She had used her anger from the aforementioned event, to truly spite the Doctor as hard as she could.

_Did you see the look in his eye? _her conscious asked sullenly.

Oh yeah, she'd hurt him bad. It wasn't anything like she wanted it to turn out and she had certainly never wanted to bring forth such a...barbaric reaction from the Doctor. He probably feels worse, if he's even still in the house. Her mum probably left another mark on his opposite cheek.

Taking a swig from the vodka that just didn't do that much to empty her hampered thoughts, Donna closed her eyes and leaned back on the bed. She was in her father's private study. Or what was her father's private study, before he'd...

_You promised yourself, no more tears._

"No one's going to see them anyway," Donna reminded herself as she remembered locking the door.

It was times like these where she really wished her dad was here. Her mum was all good and decent to chat with, but her dad at least understood his overdetermined daughter. Instead of scolding Donna like her mum had done as a child when she'd taken the bus by herself to Strathclyde, her dad simply informed her that she was the best daughter he could have asked for. Crafty, he had said, she was bloody crafty.

And that comment had stayed with her, even throughout her adventures with the Doctor. That she could really prove people wrong if she put her mind to it. Not just that, but actually get places.

Where was that Donna Noble, she wondered. The one who joked around with the Doctor. The one that felt incredible sympathy towards those in pain, most of whom were never even her own species. The one that saved people's lives by risking her own. The one that used to have fun. Because now, sitting in her dad's study, finishing off a bottle of vodka and hiding from everyone in her own home, that was not fun. She didn't even recognize herself anymore.

For that, it became appealing to take the Doctor up on his offer to erase her memories. She'd really dug herself in a hole ever since she'd gotten them back anyway. But that was exactly what she had told herself she wouldn't do. She was going to face whatever problem she'd created, no matter how bad it was, head on.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Donna addressed herself.

Apologize to the Doctor?

"Eh, that can wait."

Talk to her family and friends?

"Doesn't seem like a good day for that."

Make herself feel better from Jack's over flirtatious gestures?

"Hmm, now that's an idea."

Of course she was joking and realistically, she realized that she'd have to own up to all of these actions. Although, if there was anything she wasn't sorry for, it was sleeping with Harry. The thought scared her that if she hadn't slept with him, she probably would have had a severely worse reaction to the Doctor's information regarding her erased memories. A reaction that might have included taking the gun from Mickey's hands and...

_Tap-tap._

Opening her eyes up as the sound greeted her ears, Donna remained thankful that she had locked the door.

"Don't feel like talking. Sorry."

Ass of an excuse but it would have to suffice until things calmed down a bit in her mind.

"Donna...it's me. I-you probably don't even want to see me, much less hear my voice but please, all I want to do is talk," the Doctor pleaded, his head resting against the door.

Sighing, Donna leaned over the bed and set the bottle down on a table.

"Now's not a really good time Doctor. I can't say that I'll be held accountable for my actions if you enter this room."

_There, that sounded threatening enough._

Her happiness was short lived however as she heard his damned sonic screwdriver through the door.

_Well, here it comes._

The door opened hesitantly as the Doctor appeared, his whole body stiff with nerves and tension.

"Come on in then," Donna commanded, pulling her knees to her body.

Closing the door, the Doctor took a few steps inside the room, but otherwise, remained tight lipped and pale. His eyes found sudden images in the room fascinating. An old framed picture of Donna's father in the navy. Little knickknacks he'd savored from the Asian cities he'd been stationed at. His desk that sat frozen in time, all artifacts and items resting there as they had been ever since his passing.

Neither of them said anything yet the silence became maddening. It begged for either of them to come forth with an apology or a confession or even something silly that old friends would laugh about.

So they did, only at the same time.

"Donna, I'm so sorr-."

"It's my fault Doct-."

Then another pause as their confidence fleeted the conversation. Silence swept over the room like sticky honey, ingesting itself unmercifully into the crevices. Then -

"Do you remember," Donna began shakily, "when I first teleported into the Tardis? Bloody mad you probably thought I was. After I smacked you. Or maybe you thought it before also. It was one of the first times in my life where I wasn't useless or believed to be incompetent. If you thought any of these thoughts by the way, keep them to yourself. Just felt...right. I dunno. Then dad died and things kind of fell apart. All the plans I'd had to travel, slowly wilted away. Mum begged me to get a job. A real job. It all seemed like it was overwhelming me."

Finding the Doctor's gaze locked onto hers, Donna continued on.

"Then you came back and it all felt real again. It all felt right. The travelings and cultures and people. It felt something beyond words. How lucky was I to be able to see all of that? See what others would give to just catch a glimpse of before they died? The Doctor's companion. I felt like I had meaning again."

"But you're so much more than just my companion, Donna. You're my mate."

"Oi! Stay away spaceman. Just because I'm on a bed, doesn't mean you can get randy ideas into your head."

"Oh Rassilion! You know that's not what I meant. I mean, a friend. A true friend. You were probably more like me than anyone I've ever met before. But you also weren't and that kept me leveled. It kept me from making the wrong decisions."

"If we were so chummy and great and had the time of our lives, certainly the time of mine, why was that not enough?" Donna asked, her eyes locking listlessly onto the Doctor's.

"I had to-."

"No, Doctor. You're not answering the question right. Try again."

Itching his temple in confusion, the Doctor thought over his words again.

"I needed to find the Master. He was the only one left of my kind and he needed my help, even if he couldn't quite see it. If I could help him, then we would have traveled together. He's such a brilliant mind and the things we could have accomplished. I...I needed him Donna. I wasn't throwing you out because I was done with you or I'd gotten bored or you were second best. I had to because I wanted to find my friend and help him. Whether you consider me a selfish man for that, is your call. But I want you to know that I didn't just erase your memories with a big grin on my face. I knew what I was losing. Several times I thought about just stopping the Tardis and coming back. But I couldn't. The strange thing is...and I hate to ruin the mood by saying this, but you should have died once your memories came back to you. Had I known that you could have retained your memories, I would have taken you everywhere and anywhere. Like you promised, we indeed would have traveled together forever."

Donna nodded her head endearingly, offering a spot next to her that the Doctor gladly took. They both had their feet hanging off the bed, staring ahead.

"I understand Doctor and I'm sorry."

Finally allowing a smile to enter his lips, the Doctor transferred his arm around his former companion.

"No need for it. Just misunderstanding is all."

"And I'm sorry for how I chose to tell you about what I did with Harry," Donna bit out, shrinking herself as much as she could, into the bed.

The grip on her shoulder tightened momentarily before falling down to the Doctor's lap. He turned to face her while searching for her hands to hold in his.

"Yes, well that kiss was completely unnecessary."

"Unnecessary? It was bloody awful. Had to remind myself again why Martha had a thing for you. Surprisingly, not a single thought came to your rescue," Donna replied with a grin.

The Doctor couldn't prevent the embarrassed blush that scurried up his neck and evaporated into his cheeks.

"S'not your fault though. I slept with the bloke, not you. Slept with him because I wanted to get back at you. Not this brutally, but just to let you know that I still hurt. And it worked. Not exactly the you getting hurt part, but all the pent up feelings I'd had. They'd gone," Donna admitted, and then lowered her eyes when she noticed the Doctor's grip on her hands become tighter.

"Doctor...you don't. Oh hell. We're just mates, right? Nothing more. Or...at least, nothing more in my mind. I don't know about you since you acted crazier than I imagined you'd act when I told you I'd slept with Saxon. In fact, I'd thought that maybe you were jealous. But you couldn't be because if you had gotten jealous then that would mean that you were..."

The Doctor had trouble meeting her honest blue eyes and instead, opted for closing his.

"No. At least, they're not legitimate feelings. As much as I hate to say this, I think most of my anger came from the thought that you actually shagged him. I mean he's the enemy. That's been used in every cliched Lifetime movie since I can remember."

"Be careful about that. My mum loves those movies."

"Why am I not surprised."

"Oi, she can't help it. She's not exactly going to get into an action flick with buckets of blood in it. She's got standards."

"For her movies? Since when is Julia Roberts fleeing her abusive husband, a standard?"

"Well the next time you're fleeing your abusive husband, you let me know how it all pans out!"

"I would have left the country by the time my husband found out I was still alive."

"Your husband could be a private detective."

"I've got a Tardis."

"You forgot to take back your key from him."

"Doesn't matter. I've already traveled through time."

"Not before you land and discover that he'd attached himself to the bloody box."

"Like Jack?"

"Has Jack ever attached himself to your Tardis?"

"Once. Must be an odd experience."

"Do you want me to try it out on you?"

"Course not. I'd need some test drives first."

Rolling her eyes, Donna started laughing at the eccentric smile the Doctor had taken on. Pretty soon, he joined in and they both ended up flopping back on the bed, legs hanging off comfortably as their laughter filled the once dead room.

Eventually, it dispersed and the room seemed livelier than it ever had been in the past two years.

"Doctor, you're not really going to take away my memories again, are you?" Donna questioned nervously.

"Never again, unless you want me to."

"Good, cause I would have probably unleashed my fury on you."

"You haven't yet?"

"No. You'll know when I do."

"Why will I know? You're not going to right now, are you?"

"Course not. But it's bloody frustrating, not being able to remember what happened that night."

Pushing himself up quickly, the Doctor's eyes met Donna's.

"Where were you?"

"At a pub. I'd just gotten in another tiff with Shaun and squandered off with Stacy for a little liquid understanding. Gets a bit blurred in between but I remember finding out that Stacy had left without me. Then a bit of stumbling down the streets. A bit of stumbling up to the house. And then the last stumble into bed."

"Do you've got Stacy's number?"

Donna also shot up from the bed, smacking her head at her stupidity.

"Of bloody course. I'd only left after a few minutes after she did. But she must have seen what was going on. Who I was with or who'd been hanging around me."

"Alright, well we've got a lead then. C'mon then," the Doctor chirped, raising himself to his feet.

Donna however, only stayed seated.

"Go out there? You've got to be joking. I could barely explain to you why I did what I did, much less explain it to them. I'm sure Jack, Martha and Mickey will all have their fingers simultaneously pulled over the trigger. Mum might pay for funeral costs and gramps'll set his telescope onto my grave and watch the skies from there."

"Oh don't worry about it. Just tell them you didn't mean it and it was a stupid mistake."

Donna bit her lip and stood up.

"But Doctor...I did mean it though. Definitely wasn't a mistake. I was feeling lousy, wanted some utterly horrible feelings gone, and wanted to get back at you in a minimalistic way. I can't just say I regret it, cause I don't. I'd managed to accomplish all three tasks and although I'm sorry about hurting you, it doesn't change the fact that I still am happy I did it."

The Doctor stood with his mouth open, blinking disbelievingly a few times.

"Was he really that good?"

This time, it was Donna's turn to let a blush venture into her cheeks.

"Not excellent, I mean-. He was good. Really, really good. Surprised that we kept-never mind. Can't believe I was talking about that with you."

"Donna-."

"I know what you're going to say and the answer is no. There was absolutely no realistic connection or feelings I had invested into it. It was just sex. Had to get it out in more ways I've realized now then I knew then. Over and done and nothing but an invisible particle in his and my mind."

"You'd mentioned that you touched him on the forehead?"

"Only because he was having a nightmare. I was trying to think what you would do since you were the one searching so frantically for him. So I tried to comfort him even though if he would have woken up, probably would have ripped my arm off. Then the light came from my hand and I dunno if it did anything to him permanently, but his face was a lot more relaxed afterward. No violent shifting or pained cries."

The Doctor paced the study, head deep in thought.

"I didn't do anything wrong, did I? After all the touching we'd done that night, I doubt that one little tap on his head could have done something monumental," Donna sarcastically answered.

"Guess we'll have to ask him then," the Doctor finally said, "but I doubt that's going to be an easy task. The Master isn't one to just...freely divulge information to me or my friends."

"I wish I knew his real name," Donna mentioned.

"Why?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"Well the "Master" isn't exactly a crowd pleaser. At least not in my books. And Harry...it almost seems too traditional for him."

"I don't think he would be too happy with that. A Time Lord rarely mentions their name outside of their kind. Or rarely did. If a Time Lord was to tell another species their name, it would indicate an incredible trust they had in you as well as a connection they've formed."

"Have you ever told your name to anyone besides your own race?"

"No. Well...I did but she was...a future priority. I'll admit, I did think about doing so once."

"With Rose?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure she'd have loved to hear it."

"Do you want to know it? If I died suddenly and a new regeneration came about, they wouldn't share the same connection with you that I had. Meaning they wouldn't be more inclined to let you know. But if you really want, I can tell you. I've trusted you with so many things already that this would be the only thing left to truly know about me. And I want you to know how completely it is that I do trust you. Maybe I hadn't said it enough times back when we were traveling, but I want you to know now."

Donna sucked a breath in, comprehending the real impact his words held. But her mind had suddenly jumped back to the morning she woke up to witness Harry struggling in his nightmare. His scared words and then a name he uttered after them.

"Theta," Donna breathed out softly.

The Doctor's eyebrows flew into two confused lines.

"How did you know that?"

"I-that's it? I only remember Harry having called that name out in his sleep. I had no idea it was your name. It's...beautiful," Donna admitted.

Smiling, the Doctor walked over to Donna and placed his hand into hers.

"We're going to go out there and figure this out, I promise you. And after that, you're coming with me to Zaria. Bloody fantastic planet. Nearly all water and it's the number one tourist attraction in all of the universes. Just got to make sure you don't let one out."

Too shocked to ask what "letting one out" meant, Donna only rejoiced silently as she flung her arms around the Doctor, feeling the familiar rumble of two hearts beating in joy.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"I'm hungry."

"Tough."

"My my. Hasn't the Doctor turned you into a faithful cadet?"

"Shut it Saxon before I put a bullet in your head," Martha angrily replied, fiddling around with the transistor for her cell phone.

"And where did the Doctor run off too? Surely this isn't the way he wants to welcome his old friend back."

Martha remained close lipped, hoping that Mickey or Jack were around somewhere, ready to take the next shift. Just being in the same room with him brought old thoughts of The Year that Never Was.

"By the way, how is your mother Martha? Haven't seen her since she was employed as my maid. Bloody horrible job she did too. I could still see the blood stains five days later in the carpet."

"I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to intimidate me and make me react. Well, it's not going to work. You know who I have to thank for that?" Martha asked the Time Lord, bringing her confident gaze toward him.

When he didn't reply, Martha explained, "Donna Noble. I can just imagine how sure of yourself you must have been that she'd acted stupidly and idiotically by shagging you. Probably thought you were in control and would just pop in here to mention to the Doctor about how you'd used her so carelessly. But you're the idiot scarred. You were so blind and believed humans to be capable of nothing, that you never once thought you were the one being used. How does it feel Saxon? Knowing that you were only an outlet for her feelings. That Donna only put her arms around your filthy body because she wanted to make the Doctor angry. I want to know and once you multiply that feeling by oh say...6 billion? Then you explain what that feels like."

Harry's lips peeled back into a sneer, but said nothing to the seething woman in front of him.

"C'mon Saxon. Always so proud to speak and now you're suddenly holding back. Couldn't be because it hurts, could it? Or maybe it wa-."

"Martha, stop," Jack gently instructed from behind her, placing his arms comfortingly on her shoulders.

Spinning around, Martha felt tears form in her eyes. Giving Jack an apologetic look, she fled the room.

Jack threw himself down on the chair Martha had been sitting at and began to work on the cell phone.

Harry Saxon remained oddly quiet for the remainder of the shift. Why? Oh the feelings that were racing in him were absolutely livid.

Once he had realized that the human girl had used him, USED HIM, he was beyond angry. He knew that it was strange that she had just appeared that night without explanation. And now to find out that he had been outwitted by a human girl, the Doctor's former companion no less, had his blood boiling and hearts thumping ferociously.

He wanted to tear into her skin. He wanted to electrocute her to death. He wanted to-.

At this point, he willed his lower half of the body to calm down and stop thinking about what had occurred the night before. That would be the last thing he wanted to do once he'd managed to slip out of the ropes the freak had bound him with. They were inhumanly tight and complicated but Harry had managed to get three fingers on his left hand out and give an hour more, he'd be free.

And once he did release himself, there was only one thought that came to his mind. Now that the Doctor knew what had taken place and probably was making up with her right now...

_Could he be kissing her again?_

Harry shook his head violently, willing to make those thoughts leave his mind. He didn't know why they were suddenly bombarding him or why he was less than thrilled when the Doctor had kissed Donna, but all he knew was that he had to stop the thoughts right now or else something very bad was going to happen.

The first thing that was on his mind right now, was revenge. Revenge against the human girl for using him. A part of him did think it was a little irrational to punish her for something he had done countless times to countless people. That same part just told him to suck it up and realize that she'd surprised him. However, he squashed that voice that had been getting more frequent ever since the drums went away.

_And what of her strange abilities? She hadn't even known what she'd done to me. _

Successfully, he'd manage to pull another finger free on his left hand. With this, he cautioned himself against any other abilities she might have picked up. They were certainly useful. So that meant he couldn't quite torture her...yet. Perhaps though...perhaps he could erase her mind. Oh yes, now that would be genius! She was so firmly against it, but with her mind gone, certainly her abilities (the ones that could hurt him), would be gone.

But then it happened again. That same voice let up its reply.

_So you finally find somebody who can match you in verbal battle and is fantastic in bed and you decide to do the coward thing and erase her mind? _

_That is NOT why I'm erasing her mind._

_Do you realize that she'd forget everything? You included. Now I'm pretty sure even though the sex was meaningless, she'd gotten a good impression on her mind. _

_Doesn't matter. The point is that this will be my revenge on her._

_She won't even bloody remember why you erased her mind you idiot!_

Harry bit down vehemently onto his lip, blood spilling out of the wound that formed. He'd never had such a battle of will against his conscience. Hell, he didn't even know he had a conscience. Maybe it wasn't all good that the drums were gone from his head. He certainly felt himself thinking more...kindly. Just the word made him shudder in disgust.

Still, he did forget the thought of erasing her memories. Whatever his revenge would be, it'd have to be acted out as soon as possible. Because once he'd escape from binds, and once he'd found the redhead in the house, and grabbed a hold of her as he teleported back to the house, the Doctor and his misfits would be hot on his trail. He'd also have to act quick because he had no doubt that she would struggle once she realized what was happening. And he quickly pretended that there was absolutely no response from the lower half of his body at that last thought.

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><p><strong>The Master is plotting. The Doctor &amp; Donna are friends again. All hell is about to break loose. Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in a review :).<strong>


	13. Crazy Humans & Psychotic Time Lords

**Ran out of things to say. If you end up not liking what happens from here on, I guess that's too bad because this is how I've had it planned out since the beginning. Anyways, enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Crazy Humans &amp; Psychotic Time Lords<strong>

"Hey Stace, it's Donna. Dunno when you're gonna be home but when you get this message, it's absolutely urgent that you call me. Don't worry, I'm not mad that you left without me. I just need to know what I was doing or who was around me on Sunday night when we went out to the pub. It's incredibly important. Call me back when you can. Bye."

"Brilliant," the Doctor commented.

"Thanks. She and I are on pretty good terms so hopefully she'll call back soon," Donna stated, hanging up the phone. "Um...I've got a quick question before we go back into the kitchen though. It's about Harry."

The Doctor nodded, still unused to Donna mentioning his name so casually.

"What are you going to do with him? I mean, you can't try to save both of us and I know you'd been searching for him for two years."

"Two years, unsuccessfully. Which means that he didn't want me to find him. I'm sure he doesn't mind waiting a little while longer while I help you out," the Doctor assured.

There was still a hint of nervousness in Donna's eyes but the Doctor pulled her to him and said, "Donna, I promise you that if it's the last thing I ever do, I'm going to help you. We're going to figure this out."

"That's not what bothers me. It's when you say that it might be the last thing you do. I know your prior agreements were to him. Don't worry, I'm completely fine with that. But I want you to help me because you want to, not because you feel obligated to do so. Also, I want you to save him not because you feel it's your duty to, but because he truly needs it. And he does. If there was anything I did learn about him that night, it's that he hurts and his hurt is unbearable. Even to me."

The Doctor stared at Donna in awe.

"You are truly my better half."

"Oh shut it. No need to get too sentimental," Donna retorted back with a wink.

"Right. We've got a mystery afoot," the Doctor cried, pulling Donna with him as he pushed open the kitchen door.

Jack was sitting at the table but perked his head up at the arrival of the two. He gave Donna a distinctive smile which notified her that he held nothing against what she'd done. Hell, he himself had slept with others to get a lover jealous before. He knew the emotions fueling it and that tempting need to spite someone. The last thing Donna wanted to do was truly break the Doctor down.

Standing up, Jack walked over to Donna and the Doctor with a boyish grin on his face.

"What's the game plan Doctor?" he asked.

The Doctor swept his eyes over Jack's shoulder and looked at Harry who had his head rolled down onto his chest and eyes closed.

"Just need to ask him a question and then we'll get back to the matter at hand," the Doctor replied carefully.

"My god, do you see that gash he's got on his lip?" Donna asked, finding herself running toward the blond man.

"Donna, no!" the Doctor warned.

"Oh quiet Doctor. He's tied to a chair. Expertly tied to a chair, thanks to Jack," Donna praised, stopping in front of the Time Lord and kneeling down.

She looked at his still face and closed eyes with extreme caution, but there was indeed a thin line of blood seeping forth from his mouth. Steadily, Donna watched Harry's features for a few seconds before raising her thumb to the newly formed wound.

_Looks like he'd been biting into it on purpose._

Holding her breath, she swiped her thumb over the bottom of his bloodied lip. Before she knew what had happened, Harry's eyes had sprung open and his tongue darted out to flick over her thumb once.

The Doctor pulled Donna back quickly, his harsh eyes resting on the grinning Time Lord who'd ran his tongue over his lips a few times, as if memorizing the taste.

"You do that again blondie and I'm going to bite you," Donna retorted back, wiping her thumb on the side of her jeans as Jack helped her up.

"Mmm...biting. I thought you'd done plenty of that already," Harry responded, his eyes roaring to life as they followed the redhead.

"I assure you, this biting won't be nearly as pleasurable for you, sunshine," Donna muttered poisonously.

"She is a real fighter, isn't she Doctor? No wonder you tried so hard to keep me away from her. Didn't work though, did it?"

"I need to ask you something. It's essential and if you answer, I'm going to let you go," the Doctor said, ignoring Harry's jeers as he met his friend's eyes.

"You're going to what?" Jack asked in disbelief behind him.

"Let him go," the Doctor repeated again, "What happened to Donna's memories has nothing to do with him. She may have used her ability on him, but otherwise, there's no need to hold him here."

"But Doctor-," Donna started.

"Like I said, you're my first priority," the Doctor reminded her. "So, Master. When Donna touched your forehead as you slept, what did she do to you?"

Silence passed in between the two Time Lords for a long moment before Harry started laughing.

"Do you really think I'm going to tell you anything? Borrowing a line from Miss Noble over there – how much intelligence do you truly use in that thick skull of yours?" Harry ferociously sneered back, winking at Donna.

Donna rolled her eyes and cringed inwardly at the thought of him using her lines. They were her lines dammit and she thought they'd been pretty clever!

"I'm offering you your freedom in return for your cooperation," the Doctor evenly replied, his form kneeling in front of the Time Lord.

Harry laughed again, the madness in his eyes spilling over to the contortion of his face. His teeth showed the whole time in a silent dementia.

"But you haven't realized Doctor," Harry sing songed, "I've had my freedom for the past five minutes."

The Doctor attempted to spring back, but it was too late. Harry ripped his arms out of the ropes and let out a blue bolt of lightning at him. The impact shot him backward into the kitchen wall as Jack attempted to pull out a gun from his side. Harry's other hand, moving quicker than humanly possible, repeated the same process on the time agent. His impact was worse as Donna heard the sickening crack of his skull smashing into the corner of a cabinet.

Jumping back from the renegade Time Lord who'd turned his gaze toward her, Donna slowly inched backward to the Doctor. She knew Jack would be okay despite the injury. He could live forever. The Doctor on the other hand, couldn't.

"Don't you dare put a bloody finger on me," Donna demanded angrily, stumbling as the Time Lord matched her every step.

"What a change from last night," Harry boasted in return.

"Wait, that's what this is about?" Donna exclaimed suddenly.

Stopping in his tracks, Harry's lips turned downward.

"I mean, you should be gone by now. Running out the door or something. But you're taking the time to pursuit me. And then you keep on mentioning last night," Donna connected, her boldness building as Harry's features showed her just how right she was.

"Donna, what the he-?" Martha shouted as she pushed open the door.

Before Donna could turn around to warn her friend, she felt Harry's crushing grip encompass her arm as his other hand reached into his pocket and revealed the teleporter. Within a second, the two disappeared.

"Doctor!" Martha screamed at the man who was knocked out cold.

Jack on her other side, twitched slightly as the blood matted in his hair, began receding. As soon as the wound appeared, Jack's cranium was healed.

"Jack, what happened? Where's Donna? Where's the Master?"

"What do you mean where's Donna? She was just right ther-."

Jack pushed himself to his feet and stared at the empty space in shock.

"Oh shit. Well, we've got ourselves a problem now," Jack expressed with unease.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Get your hands off me, now!" Donna roared as Harry pushed her through the passageway of the main room and his bedroom. His grip was as strong as iron but that didn't stop Donna from voicing her extreme dislike at the turn of events.

Her voice became temporarily muffled as Harry pushed Donna onto her stomach, over the bed. Then, he pulled out the same rope that Jack had used to bind his arms with, and proceeded to work on the struggling redhead.

"Harry, let me go. We've got no business together. For god's sake, it's the Doctor you want, not me."

"See, that's where you're wrong."

Donna tried to force her body back up but Harry's arms were like two lead weights on her back. In record time, Harry had successfully managed to triple tie and knot Donna Noble's hands.

Stepping back as Donna swung around, Harry clapped his hands in excitement.

"Now a chair for the fair lady," he quoted sarcastically, running into the other room and returning with the chair she'd noticed on the first night.

"Good luck trying to get me on that," Donna answered back willfully.

"Do you ever do anything without a fuss? Honestly, it'd make kidnapping you so much easier."

"That's what you were doing back there? Kidnapping me?" Donna asked, raising her eyebrows unconvincingly. "Need to bloody work on your kidnapping skills."

"Well I've got you bound in my bedroom. I think I've done pretty well so far considering how feisty you get."

"Half the women I know, like to be bound in the bedroom. I'd thought you would have at least had chloroform or maybe waited until everyone was asleep."

Staring back indignantly, Harry placed the chair in front of him.

"Well, I promise you that the next time I kidnap you, I'll steal you in the night with a cloth full of chloroform over your face."

"Thank you," Donna emphasized acrimoniously.

Ten minutes later and Harry had finally managed to successfully tie Donna down to the chair. But Donna wants to make it clear that she did not give in easily. She scratched (to the best of her abilities), clawed (again, to the best of her abilities), groaned, spit, snarled, kicked, lashed, screamed, kneed, elbowed, headed, attempted biting the Time Lord but all were unsuccessful as he chased her around his bedroom. But she was happy to notice him taking off his sweatshirt after tying her down and the small sweat stain that appeared on the back of his t shirt from her efforts. If he'd had any neighbors, they probably would have thought that he owned a very vicious tiger from the sounds and noises coming from the house.

Harry paced his bedroom, stopping at times to look at his captive menacingly before returning to pace. He was hot, frustrated, and attempting very hard not to get aroused. You could not have ever expected Harry Saxon to tell you what it was about the Doctor's companion that made him so bloody crazy and patient enough not to kill her. Whatever the reason was, he was having a mighty difficult time fighting it down. He was at a crossroads again.

If he acted out his revenge, she'd know why. She was smarter than he sometimes gave her credit for and figured out the look in his eye much quicker than he himself had. It was a real pain to torture somebody who knew why they were being tortured.

_C'mon, think of something. How to exact revenge on a human. What's so bloody hard about it?_

But Harry knew why he was having such a hard time. He liked fighting her. He liked arguing with her. And in some truly sick way, he liked spending time around her. Call it the long absence he'd had from the human race or any race for that matter. The Doctor was a thick idiot and there was no way he was going to spend his time trying to be the Doctor's little miraculously healed headcase. Maybe that's why he liked her. Because she was so different from the Doctor. But god, here he was actually considering his feelings for her. What the hell was he thinking?

_I'll just kill her. Electrocute her like I did the Doctor and the freak._

With that thought, Harry stopped pacing and marched over to the tied down redhead who noticed the sudden change in his facial features and bit down all cunning remarks that were in her throat.

Donna didn't close her eyes or start shaking uncontrollably. She didn't scream or cry or thrash about, trying to get free. Simply, she stared up with unblinking blue eyes at Harry whose hand started to emit lightning around it. There was no fear masked on her face, nor any sign of weakness. Only a strange inquisition. Because in all honesty, Donna had no idea what he was going to do next.

But she could see the struggle there. At first, it was difficult to detect because it was something she wasn't expecting. When she thought that Harry would decide to kill her, she didn't think that he'd hesitate or wait this long. Maybe if she'd particularly pissed him off and he felt like torturing her to death. Still, the hesitance was present.

"Would it be easier if I begged?" Donna asked softly.

Harry didn't let out a word as he struggled to keep his eyes on hers.

"Because you and I both know, I never will."

With that last statement, the blue spark disappeared from within his hand and Harry turned around. He stood there for a few minutes, fingers tapping arrhythmically on his side. Then in what seemed like a few seconds but realistically was probably a few minutes, he turned back around to Donna with a completely new expression on his face.

"You used me."

"If it's any consolation, I don't regret it. Maybe I wish the bruises on the back of my legs weren't still there, but otherwise, it was fantastic."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"But you still did it to spite the Doctor?"

"Damn it Saxon, you know how these things work. Stop trying to make me feel guilty for something that you just as easily became a part of."

"I'm not doing that."

"You are too."

"Can you blame me?"

"Yes."

Itching his fingers toward his scalp, Harry thoughtfully looked at the woman across from him. And like a light bulb had just turned on, an idea sprang to his mind.

He shifted himself forward until he was just a few feet away from Donna. A very uncomfortable nearness if Donna had anything to say about it. Then he kneeled right in front of her and offered a very dangerous smile.

"I'm guessing you've figured out what you're going to do with me," Donna commented.

"Oh yes," he replied, the same prickliness laced in his tone.

And the spark hit his eyes so devilishly that Donna had an actual shiver coarse through her spine.

"I'm going to return the favor."

"In what way?" Donna questioned, not liking where things were headed.

"It seems that I can't kill you at the moment. Or want to. Torturing you may inhibit those lovely abilities that I'm more than interested in having a personal look at. Erasing your mind, I've deducted would truly be unfortunate because then you wouldn't even bloody remember why I was torturing you in the first place. So, I've reached a perhaps truly insane solution. No really Miss Noble, this is a first for me too," Harry replied eagerly, his eyes lighting up in excitement.

"And that solution involves you letting me go and becoming pen pals from opposite ends of the universe?" Donna prayed.

Again, Harry laughed.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. This involves me using you."

"And you would do that by...?" Donna suggested.

A second later and she felt like she'd slammed her head into concrete. The creepy smile. Abnormal lighting of his eyes. Smirking stare. Bloody hell.

"Oh no! We are not going to-."

"Oh, but we are."

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Doctor! You promised me that she'd be safe! You promised-."

"Calm down Sylvia, please. We'll find her," the Doctor assured, cracking the stiff joints in his body from the attack.

"How? Oh god, he took her. He's going to kill her," she sobbed, allowing Wilf to hold her.

"Don't worry Miss Noble, I'm tracing the teleportation particles," Jack explained.

"The what?" Mickey quizzically asked.

"He had an ancient model of the device. Don't know why I was too stupid not to check him for weapons," Jack said.

"Don't worry about it Jack," the Doctor told, "just make sure you don't lose trace of the particles."

"I still don't understand," Mickey asked.

"Certain teleportation devices leave off a trace of their particles after they've been used. The one that the Master used was ancient enough to do that. But it's vital that in order to trace the location of the particles, it's got to be done almost directly after the device was used. I'd say Jack has only a few minutes left before the particles disappear and we lose the trace we have on them," the Doctor explained.

"Doctor," Martha said after a moment, "do you think the Master is going to kill her?"

She said this in a hushed tone as to not alert the others or perhaps give them false hope, depending on the answer.

The Doctor put an arm around Martha and lowered his mouth to her ear.

"No. For some strange reason, I don't believe he's going to kill her. He's never," the Doctor paused, trying to figure out how he wanted it to come out, "acted this way about a person. Especially a human."

Martha nodded her head, unsure of what to think of his answer. Another part of her wondered if she should inform Doctor of her earlier provocation toward the Master. But fear from his reaction squandered that thought so she simply turned back to watch Jack analyze the particles.

_It can wait for another time._

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><p><strong>I've decided to shorten the lengths of the chapters from here on out. And to not update as often. Hope you enjoyed this and let me know as always, what you're thinking in a review :)<strong>


	14. Did He Crack Along With Time?

**So I might have kind of went overboard with shortening the chapters and update dates. The problem was that I didn't think I was churning out that good of chapters, the more I updated them. Also, maybe because there was too much going on in a chapter, it took away from it's magic. But those reviews helped me realized that maybe that isn't the case. I'm still going to shorten my updates, perhaps not over the weekend though. During the weekdays, maybe I'll only update once or twice. Otherwise, I only hope you enjoy.**

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><p><strong><strong>Did He Crack Along With Time?<strong>**

"There is no bloody way in hell that I'm going to let you do this," Donna angrily shouted.

Harry shrugged his shoulders with a wicked smile gracing his features.

"Then I'll convince you too. Did the Doctor ever mention that our race has the incredible ability to play around with hypnosis? From what I've learned of my time here on Earth, humans are so easily susceptible to it that they don't even realize it's happening," Harry notified.

Donna's whole face paled at the thought of him in her mind, convincing her to-.

"Don't do that! Just...can't you think of some other torture? Water torture? Verbal abuse? Forcing me to eat my mum's cooking?"

The Time Lord was relieved to see the slight fear that entered her eyes but he knew it wasn't from the thought of the torture. It was the thought of how he would persuade her into the torture. An invasion of the mind was not a pleasurable experience when Harry did it. And damn it, there came in his feelings again. There was that tiny bit part of him that actually felt bad for causing that fear.

"I am not a man to be messed around with. It was all cute and fun to shag me in order to spite the Doctor but you should have thought of the consequences. Did you really think I was just going to let you walk away without doing something about it? Damn it, I'm the Master! I could kill somebody as easily as crushing an ant. If I wanted to, I could get into this filthy race's mind. Then I could truly show them real suffering. So even though you may cry unfair because I know you won't shut up for two minutes or that I'm a horrible person, I want you to think back to who you're dealing with."

Donna lowered her head down and thought about what he'd said. Sure, she listened to the important parts and maybe she had been a little bit careless when she was around him, but there was something that dodged her thinking skills from what he'd said. It was something that came up in a conversation with mum and herself a few months ago. Yet again, during one of her soaps.

Now don't think Donna stupid because she knew how incredibly serious Harry's words were. That's why she kept her mouth closed. But there was still something damned important about what he'd said. It made her think of something.

_I am not a man to be messed around with. _

_No. That wasn't it. _

_Should have thought of the consequences. _

_No. Wasn't that either._

_Did you really think I was just going to let you walk away without doing something about it?_

_YES!_

Oh she remembered what it was now. Her mum had talked her into watching one of her favorite soaps before it went off the air. Coincidentally, it also had to do with a woman sleeping with her husband's best friend. But the best friend wasn't happy about being used. Donna remembered the conversation clear as day.

"They're so thick! Why doesn't the husband's best friend just forget about her? He had a good shag and that's that," Donna had pointed out.

"Although the best friend was the one being used, he still had feelings for her," her mum had explained.

"I don't get these shows mum. They're all the same and they have the emotional maturity of a bloody child!"

"Well you never know Donna, these shows might help you out with Shaun and why he hasn't asked you to marry him yet."

"Oh please," Donna chortled, "what life lesson could I possibly learn from a bloke who doesn't know what it means to shove off?"

"The best friend is angry. Don't you understand? If he just walked away, it would mean that the whole experience meant nothing to him. But he's fighting for her back. Or plotting or whatever. Point is that it meant more to him that he's letting on. That's the life lesson you'll learn. Tell me how it all pans out cause I'm sure Shaun and Stacy will have a great time together."

"Oi! Mum, they are not shagging. Plus, Stacy's not my best friend," Donna finished off before getting into another argument.

But it was there in that conversation. The fact that Harry took the time to kidnap her just to extract his revenge meant so much more than just an anger. The tone of his voice. The look in his eyes. His whole body movements. They weren't that of a person who wanted to kill her...

It still went deeper than that she thought. He could easily torture her physically. Could torture her mentally also. Out of all those options, he'd picked the one which will make them connect again whether he knows it or not. He's taking the time to have brought her here just so he could make himself feel better. Make himself feel better because she had affected him. Surprised him. There was an emotional attachment involved in his revenge that she didn't even think he knew about yet. Or if he did, that's why he wanted to shag her and get it over with.

Which meant what exactly for herself? She definitely didn't want to shag him again. Not that it wasn't good the first time, but this time she knew that the end result might be catastrophic. She'd just gotten on good terms with the Doctor and her friends didn't completely see her as some tramp. If she shagged him now, it would be very very bad. But I suppose that's what he's counting on. For it to humiliate her and allow him to be the one in control this time. Then the revenge would truly be successful.

So her task? Make sure that the Time Lord didn't lay a finger on her before the Doctor came because if there was anything she was sure of, it was that the Doctor was coming to rescue her. If he didn't, well...she was going to haunt his skinny little arse for the rest of his life in the Tardis.

Lifting her head, she hid the shock of seeing Harry's inquisitive face so close to hers.

"I thought you'd passed out or something. Can't say I've ever gave anyone that reaction before."

Donna smiled mysteriously, her eyes scanning his and seeing the concern from her smile. He had no idea what was running through her mind. But how does one fend off a Time Lord?

_God, it'd been so easy with the Doctor. He'd kept a handle on his emotions incredibly well. Harry's the complete opposite. He doesn't want to withhold these emotions one bit._

_But I think that's it! Rose had told me that she had gotten angry at the Doctor once for not showing his emotions. She'd scolded him into realizing that he did feel something for her, but he was just too afraid to let him know. She'd admitted his emotions because she had known him so well. _

_So what does that mean if I know Harry's emotions well enough to call him out on them? Don't know. But it's the same thing as Rose. I've got to call out what I imagine are the rightful emotions in his head, struggling with each other._

"Is this really the Master I'm looking at?" Donna asked with skepticism.

The Time Lord stumbled back some, actually surprised that she'd finally used his name.

"Of course it is," he replied carefully with a smile.

"Really? See I can't really imagine it no matter how often I try. The Master...smitten over a human girl. I'd never thought I'd see the day," Donna laughed.

His reaction was exactly what she wanted. All of his primal looks disappeared as anger masked it.

"I am not smitten," he growled out dangerously.

"Bollocks. Look at what you've gone and done. You've kidnapped me just to get back at me for hurting your feelings. And now you want to shag me again? If that's not an admission of feelings then I don't know what is," Donna observed. She didn't say this arrogantly or spitingly. Only as an observation. Because she truly wanted to live for a little while longer.

Harry stood speechless for a few seconds. Then, he forced his face right in front of hers and reached out his hand behind her head. Their lips were only a millimeter apart as she felt his hand grip into her hair, not painfully but authoritatively.

"What are you trying to do, earth girl?" he whispered, his breath like a cool wind blowing over her face.

"I'm trying to stop you from making a big mistake," she replied just as evenly, ignoring the need she had to yank herself out of his grip.

A few more seconds of intense staring finally made him release the grip from her hair but not before running his hand through it once. He stalked away to the other room and Donna finally allowed herself to breath. She was basically playing up to what she thought his emotions must be. And boy did it surprise her when she realized how well she knew him.

Nervously, she tried to peer into what was going on in the other room but from her angle near the window, the other room remained hidden from view. The ropes he'd tied her with were complicated but she felt a rush of excitement when her fingers had started to work through the stubborn robes. Her dad had taught her at a young age to undo knots. While in the navy, he would bring her back gifts sometimes, tied in painful knots that she'd get frustrated at because she couldn't undo them. But he'd taught her methodically until she was perfect at untying double knots and triple knots and all kinds of knots.

It was going to be a bit different with her hands bound but she didn't care. The main thought on her mind was that it was essential she left as soon as possible. Although Donna had tried not to provoke the Time Lord too much, she knew that his emotions shifted easily and it would be really unfortunate if she died in a chair. Plus, her eyes had made contact with the other side of the room where the teleporter laid discarded on the floor after he'd dropped it while wrestling her down into the chair. If she could get her hands free and reach the teleporter, escape was possible.

_One problem at a time, Donna._

With that, she went back to inching her fingers out of the rope.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Damn it! I lost them," Jack shouted, banging his fist onto the floor.

"Jack, it's fine. You've got part of the particles. That'll give us the location once you get there," the Doctor assured.

"You're not going, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"I love Donna but Jack can't die and he's armed well which reminds me...Jack, whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT kill the Master. Don't even shoot him. Just make sure he's far enough from you two for you to work the teleportation device and get out of there with Donna," the Doctor warned.

Jack nodded his head firmly, understanding the order to be more than just that. It pained Jack to think that the Doctor still believed he could save the other Time Lord. He himself could never have been that merciful on the man, nevermind that he couldn't die each time the Master had tortured and killed him.

There was also a part of him that missed the Doctor. Not this tired, worn out genius who dropped everything for the Master, but the man he'd first met. The one that laughed with Rose and himself and allowed himself to feel. Not to have been ashamed at what he'd felt and to embrace his friends as loyal companions instead of miscreants he'd had to watch out for. Because that's what he'd felt like as soon as he met the newly regenerated Doctor. Of course he'd never had the guts to say it, but these past few days had only reaffirmed his belief on a few matters.

One of them was that he was going back to Torchwood after this and that was final. A few times he'd thought of lingering in London to help the Doctor, but that was before he'd realized how much he truly loved his team and that the Doctor really didn't need him around anymore.

The second thing he realized was that he had to get over the Doctor not being the same man he was in the previous regeneration. Seemed like a simple task but those were some of the best memories of his life that he'd shared with the Doctor and Rose. Not like he could just hit the rewind button on them.

The last and probably biggest realization came when he had witnessed the Doctor kiss Donna. Well...if that could have been a kiss because he wasn't too sure of what that was. What he did end up making his mind up about was that as soon as they rescued the redhead from the Master, and after they found out how she had gotten her memories back plus the extra abilities, he was going to take Donna with him back to Torchwood. She didn't belong with the Doctor. He'd only proved to easily too many times on who his choice would be in the end were it to come down to the Master and Donna. Heck, he imagined that it could have been anyone and the Master and the Doctor would always choose the Time Lord over anybody else.

Donna didn't need that kind of heartache. She already got burned when she found out that the Doctor erased her memories, burned again when she found out why the Doctor erased her memories but then was burned once more because she was forced to think that sleeping with the Master would be a means of getting back at the Doctor.

She needed a life of adventure without the pain in it. And while Jack realized that it might be a bit difficult trying to convince her of that, he did know that he could offer her that at Torchwood. The aliens and the adventure. Hell, he'd teleport with her to different planets if she wished. Anything to erase the pain that Jack knew was coming. Steadily each day, it was building and while he had admitted to himself already that the Doctor would choose the Master over himself any day, he wasn't sure if Donna had quite convinced herself of that yet.

"The Master isn't going to give this one up easily. He'll probably be in the mood to fight so be very very careful," the Doctor informed him.

Jack nodded his head with a grin on his face. He hugged Martha, patted Mickey on the back and gave Donna's family an official salute, promising them that he'd get Donna back. When the Doctor met his glance, Jack smiled but he could feel the tightness of it on his lips.

With a press of the teleporter Jack had from his days as a Time Agent, he was gone.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

_Oi, you've got one hand out! C'mon, loosen up your pinky. Twist it slowly._

"You know what I've just realized?" Harry laughed as he unexpectedly rushed back in to the room.

Donna swallowed the gulp that was going down her throat and steadied her hands together behind her.

"That you've taken up my offer for me to check you into a mental hospital?" Donna asked calmly.

"No, no, no. I've realized that you're smart. Not just smart with your intellect but with your words. See, normally I wouldn't say something like that but normally I wouldn't want to shag a Doctor's companion in order to get back at the companion for besting me at a game I've played for a very long time. This situation is anything BUT normal. Still, I like that," the Master admitted, peering at the redhead with the same smile he wore when he came in.

"Ah...well I'm glad," Donna replied unsurely.

"Yes. You were trying to talk me out of extracting my revenge on you. You did that because you know the Doctor. You know that the Doctor constantly has harsh, stern emotions that pull him back anytime he's in a pattern of feeling good and dare I say it...in love. Well, you are right in one regard. I am the Master. But, this isn't going to be a mistake. In fact, I'm more determined than ever to shag you now because it will not only let me have the upper hand I have on you, but it'll throw you off and stop you thinking that you know Time Lords so bloody well," Harry said, his form creeping forward with each new sentence.

"My god, you both are still so bloody thick!" Donna cried, ignoring her rule about not provoking the Time Lord.

"In what way?" he demanded.

"It's about power, for both of you. The power comes to the Doctor from not letting himself feel anything except duty. The power to you comes from wanting to always be the dominant one and never allowing someone to know you more than you know yourself. You might think that you're so bloody different from the Doctor but you know what?" Donna asked, fury building in her voice. She was so sick and tired of Time Lords telling her what to do and them not seeing the bigger picture.

"What?" Harry asked with danger lacing his voice. His body now proudly stood in front of the redhead captive.

"You are more like each other than you realize," Donna vented back, keeping her free hand still or else she'd have the compulsive need to strangle him.

Harry stepped back. Instead of anger overtaking his features, a thoughtful look passed them.

"What else is there besides power?" Harry responded after a few minutes of silence. His voice imparted a very rare vulnerability that Donna realized only the Doctor had probably ever heard.

"Are you bloody kidding me? You think humans are so stupid with the decisions we make but you never ever wonder why we make them. What is there besides power? Loads. There's happiness, adventure, peace, exploration, friends, passion, traveling, discovering, knowing, and love. Take my word for it because I either had a few of those things or none before the Doctor came along. Sure, power is fun and intoxicating. But it's something that can be taken away from you or something you can lose. I've given up so much for the sake of adventure, and passion, and hell, I was married one time with two children and I even gave up that. Don't ask. Point is, I'd go through it all over again because that's true power," Donna relayed strongly.

"That's the silliest thing I've ever heard."

"Might be silly, but it's kept me alive this far. And I'm not just talking about my experiences with you. My whole life," Donna expressed.

Oh he tried so hard not to see the human's point. He tried even harder to believe that her words had no impact on him. But Harry couldn't deny the slight jolt of hope that vibrated dimly inside of him. Hope that made him think of a life besides killing and fear and then getting power solely from those two events. But anytime he tried to see into a life like that, he shuddered at the drastic shift of power he no longer would have. He'd been powerless before and that was one of the worst feelings he'd ever had. That's why he clung so steadily to the power he'd gain. If there was a loss of power, there was a loss of self.

_But who am I really?_

Unfortunately, Harry's thoughts never reached past that point. He instead, convinced himself that it was useless to ponder on emotions that weren't going to further his quest for dominance. A very selfish decision. However, there was no denying that after Donna's words, a part of him had changed. It had opened himself to a reality that he never thought likely. What that reality held, he wasn't sure. Would he like that reality? He convinced himself no.

But as he looked at the redhead in front of him, Harry felt like he had to change something. There was no doubt that he was going to go on with his plan for revenge. He couldn't just let her get away with something like that. However, it was in the means of how he would carry out his revenge, which changed.

"Oi, what is it?" Donna shrilly demanded, working on the index finger of her left hand.

"You may be right about some things. But you may also be wrong. Personally, I'd like to think you're wrong but you have surprised me before. I suppose there's one thing you have made me aware of. That thing is that I do indeed crave power. To have power over someone is a victory unlike any other. But then I thought about how you slept with me and still gained a power of your own. Without mind control. Which got me into thinking," Harry pondered, sarcastically tapping his chin, "that perhaps forcing myself into your mind and demanding you to reciprocate what I plan on doing to you, may not exactly be the power I'm looking for. But then I thought, HELLO! Think about how much better you'll feel if you managed to get the human girl into that bed without forcing her! Now that would be a power in it's own."

"You Time Lords never just bloody come out and say it, do you?" Donna asked tiredly.

"I'm going to persuade you into shagging me the same way you did to me. Without forcing myself into your mind," Harry decided carnally.

"So...you're going to what? Seduce me?" Donna grinned.

"Of course!"

Momentarily pausing in her escape, Donna took that time to start laughing. Her voice ejected a marvelous humor as well as a disbelief at his words and a relief that he wasn't going to invade her mind.

"Oh hush now Donna," Harry chided, walking toward her again. He invaded her personal space yet again by nearing his face right in front of hers with a grin of complete depravity.

"I'm more persuasive than you realize," was his soft reply as he placed a quick open mouthed kiss on her jaw before skipping back.

Donna tried to wipe the kiss off her jaw by wiping her shoulder into it, but she still felt the indentation of his mouth there. Taking the time to look back up at the Time Lord, Donna didn't know why she got the impression that she just made things a whole lot worse. Sure she wasn't going to get her mind invaded, if he was going to keep his word on that. But he was still planning on shagging her. Normally, that wouldn't have bothered her in the slightest because she knew it wasn't going to work. However, there was such a reinforced determination in his features that Donna had to stifle what she mistook to be a groan of despair when it actually was a groan of excitement.

_Maybe he won't be that good at seduction. Maybe he'll get all power hungry again which is what always turns me off about him. Not that I think of things that turn me on about him. Damn!_

Harry crookedly smiled at her and Donna slowly renewed her strength to get herself free.

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><p><strong>Emotions rule! Except if you're a Dalek. Speaking of Daleks...DonnaDalek? Huh? Anybody? Surely seems like she's changing the Master in small, tiny, miniscule ways ;). Why not emotionless, cold, alien, machines?Let me know what you're thinking in a review.**


	15. Earth Girls Are Not Easy

**Complete pain in the butt writing this chapter. I still don't know if I'm completely satisfied with it, but it did end up getting to where I wanted it to. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong><strong>Earth Girls Are Not Easy<strong>**

"Wait!" Donna yelled as the Time Lord approached her.

A sigh came out of the man.

"Yes?"

"You're going to get me pregnant! Now wouldn't that just stink, having to have a family? It's so...human," Donna finished hopefully.

"We used nothing the first time," he reminded.

"Oh my god. Am I pregnant then?" Donna gasped, her heart actually picking up in speed. That would be very bad. A pregnant Donna would be an angry Donna. An angry, pregnant Donna would be cataclysmic.

"Dear god no. Time Lords have the ability for selective breeding. Unlike humans, we can choose whom should raise our child and we can control our biological make up until the other person is right. Believe it or not, even in a great race like the Time Lords, there are undesirables," he explained with distaste.

"So that's a no?" Donna asked, heart slowing it's racing.

"That's a never," Harry answered.

Donna blew out an extremely relieved breath. She scolded herself momentarily for being so thick. Throughout the whole time that she was seducing and shagging Harry, she didn't think once about protection. Not that it entered her mind because she assumed...well, she didn't know what she assumed.

"Now, stop distracting me," Harry mock complained, taking a few steps toward his captive.

The redhead was about to say something but it died on her tongue as Harry's eyes visibly transformed into a hungering gaze.

"Is that what you thought I was doing? Oh no...just asking how you're doing," Donna replied lamely, finally freeing her final finger out of the ropes, successfully.

"Aw...what a sweetheart," Harry complimented, folding a hand over his mouth in sarcastic happiness.

Just wait for the right moment, Donna thought. But what was the right moment? The more frequently she tried to peer at the teleporter on the floor at the other side of the room, the less frequently she saw it. How was she even supposed to get past him? It seemed like his eyes were expecting everything she had coming.

Harry stopped short of her and let one of his fingers trail slowly down Donna's arm.

_Nothing better than starting out with skin to skin contact._

He did this again but stopped when he saw the confused look on Donna's face.

"What?" he muttered.

"THAT's what your plan for seduction is? Rubbing my arm until you put me to sleep? My dad would do that when I was a kid," Donna exclaimed, amusement riding on her lips.

Freezing in his motions, Harry stared at Donna, trying not to let rage consume him. So maybe it'd been awhile since he'd had to actually put forth effort in order to seduce someone. Lucy had come so willingly to him that he didn't even need mind control. But Donna? Perhaps this required a little more effort than he thought.

So when she stopped smiling, Harry leaned in and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss of tongue. He didn't bite, but nibbled cautiously on her upper lip. His goal wasn't to scare her off, but to act in the way he'd imagine she wanted her lover to act. Which was also strange because she had gotten her seduction down within the night. Was he really that easy to seduce?

Donna attempted to pull away, her hands screaming at her to give him a great push, but she couldn't deny the sweet intensity of the kiss. His tongue hungrily battled with hers as his left hand spread over the side of her face. His other hand trailed down behind her and then stopped curiously.

"Oh you've been naughty, Miss Noble," he mumbled into her ear, his throat congested with arousal.

Rolling her eyes, Donna forgot the feeling of the kiss and flung her hands out in front of her, attempting to push the Time Lord away. Harry however, caught her hands in record speed and only pulled at them. This lifted Donna from her chair, into his awkward embrace.

"Not one for bondage, are you?" he whispered before running his tongue once over the shell of her ear.

"Shove it," Donna replied, sick at herself for bending so easily to his touches.

_Get yourself together! What would the Doctor think if he saw you right now?_

With that, Donna twisted her head out of his arms and tried to separate her body from his but his arms were vines around her. They kept her firmly pressed up against his body, not letting a single crevice be untouched. It was heavenly. It was frustrating. It was a sick mixture of the two that Donna hated herself for experiencing. Especially since the embrace began shifting into something reminiscent too much of last night.

Their was a slight pause of breath as she felt Harry's lips skip down her throat and then back up, his teeth lightly biting her heated skin.

"I swear, if there are marks left over," Donna threatened.

"I'm still deciding on whether to kill you or not and all you're concerned about is your precious neck?" Harry questioned.

"I'm not the only one," she pointed out, closing her eyes as his teeth lightly bit into a sensitive spot near her pulse point.

"Touche," was his mumbled reply as he began pushing her backwards.

When Donna hit the wall behind her, she felt Harry's arms skim quickly up her body and then rest on either side of her. Reluctantly, his lips left their place on her neck to match her gaze.

"So...what do you like?"

The question had tried not to be asked authoritatively, but Donna was nevertheless pissed off. And turned off. Like hell she was just going to tell him how to seduce her. If she'd asked him last night on all the things to do to him, then the seduction would never have worked. She might have died then, both physically and emotionally.

However, she surprised herself when her answer came out gentle.

"You've got to learn what the other person likes. Gestures or certain actions that reel them in slowly. That's the thing about seduction. You can't just attack the other person all at once. It's a slow process of the right touches and whatever else they like."

Perhaps just as equally surprised, Harry's head turned sideways. His eyes raked over the receding red in her cheeks and assertive blue eyes. Naturally, she wasn't exactly a spotlight beauty. Still, her attractiveness didn't just lay in her physical features. Her personality was something that excited him more than he wanted to admit. And her words had him really thinking, for once about someone else other than himself.

Cautiously, his lips neared hers and for some reason, his dark brown eyes connected with her curious blue. The connection he felt, again, wasn't like any he'd ever had before. It reminded Harry of the previous night when he was able to feel everything going on around them and inject those feelings into her. That was a high he'd never reached in his life. Not even when killing or his time as prime minister, ruling over the filthy race. He almost hated to wonder whether this was normal.

As Harry was pondering on the mystery of his attraction to the redhead in front of him, said redhead was snapping herself out of the love struck phase she'd gotten into. She honestly did not see how she so easily let him press her up against a wall and touch her wherever he pleased. Realistically speaking, he was still a deranged Time Lord that that wouldn't hesitate to kill her. He'd kidnapped her to torture her. To extract revenge because that's all that this was - revenge.

The worst part however was that she didn't believe it anymore. Not all of it at least. She'd seen such a different side of him, a side more closely related to the Doctor. It was almost...tender? Nah...perhaps a bit benevolent? Even that was a bit too much at this moment. He just seemed different than what Martha had told her. Different than what even the Doctor had tried hinting to her. Like his decisions constantly waged a war in his mind, opting for the one that was cruel because Donna imagined that that's what he'd only known. Cruelness. Or maybe it was what he only felt safe in. If you're cruel naturally, all other things can't bother you. Emotion wise, you are indestructible.

She could definitely see the impression cruelty made on him. Then in addition to the drums that Martha had told her had drove him mad, his actions were bound to be selfish, immoral, and hateful.

_So what has changed? He's not all of these things...at least not at the same time. _

There was a slight jolt in her mind, informing her of a connection between the two. Between his drumming and his actions.

_I touched his forehead. His face relaxed. What could have changed?_

And like a lightning bolt, it hit her.

"You don't hear the drumming anymore, do you? That's what I did. I stopped the drumming," Donna asked in shock, her blue eyes still locked with his brown ones.

She hadn't expected to feel the forceful impact of his body smashing into hers, his lips tangling within her own. Once dormant, his arms scratched and clawed anywhere they could touch on her body. Desperation fueled his body's attempt to mold his frame into hers and his lips plundered hers without remorse.

There was no denying it, he was angry. Angry that she kept on discovering things that he thought he was able to hide. Angry that she was able to make the connection. Angry that she knew she was right. Angry because he knew that she wouldn't expect anything back after helping him.

This one emotion allowed him to vent and groan and release himself upon her without a single thought. That is, until he tasted blood.

Breaking away from her lips, he opened his eyes to discover the gash he'd created from tearing into her bottom lip with his teeth. A sense of pride filled him but when he looked into Donna's eyes, it left.

"What? This is how I am," he furiously declared, trying to hold a sane reason for his action.

"Okay," Donna calmly answered. With one action, she pushed him. Hard. So hard and unexpectedly that he ended up finding himself on the floor, a slight pain vibrating in his back.

Donna then walked to the bed and sat on the edge of it. Her hands folded over her face while her tongue decided to ignore the trickle of blood currently meandering down her lip. To be honest, she was at a stand still. There was a desperate need to knock some sense into the Time Lord. You don't just go around biting into people's lips. But she knew why his reaction was so violent. Yet again, she'd discovered something about him that she imagined no one else really took the time to see. No one but the Doctor that is. While this wasn't exactly the appropriate reaction, Donna also acknowledged that this was anything but an appropriate man. So, she was at a stand still. Either she punch him or forget about it.

The weight of the bed pressed down as Donna felt the other man's presence beside her.

"My action was...uncalled for," he uncharacteristically and uncertainly informed her.

"Is that my apology?" Donna retorted from underneath her hands.

"It's as close as I'll ever get to one," Harry assured.

"You Time Lords sure know how to make a girl feel special. Sometimes I wonder though, how in the world Rose was ever able to love the Doctor. I mean really love him cause I love him but he's so emotionally cut off when it comes to ones that are centered around the heart. Well, two hearts. I mean, people are like that but we eventually get over it and take a chance. The Doctor once told me that that was the curse of the Time Lord. To be alone. But," Donna admitted, feeling Harry's gaze on her, "I think the curse is never allowing yourself to experience love. To push people away by harshness or irrationality or...attacking a ginger's lips when we hit down a little too close to home."

Harry barked out a laugh, the bed shaking from the movements. Although Donna still refused to look up at him, her insides strangely beamed at the sound of his voice. It was so carefree at the moment. So denounced of malice.

"I think seduction is overrated," he finally said after a moment of silence.

"What?" Donna yelled, letting her hands fly away from her face.

She stared at the Time Lord in anger.

"It is. Touching and kissing someone until they bend to your will," Harry attempted to relay.

"Only because you can't do it," she ruled confidently.

"Oh har-har-har. Always so witty," he coasted back.

"Only because you allow me to be," she joked back, then wished she could retract her words. They sounded a little to friendly to say to a man who hunted out weaknesses like that and fed off of them.

"You're not exactly easy to seduce."

"Yes I am. You just lack the skills to properly do it."

"And you've been seduced before?"

"Course. Two times."

Donna was met with a curious stare.

"Who?"

"No need to mention their names. Don't want you to feel bothered that you'll never live up to them."

Harry rolled his eyes dispassionately.

"I'm sure they were terrible at it."

"No, no. One of them I almost married. Turned out he was in love with a spider. The other one I actually did marry. But none of it was real," Donna mentioned.

"You certainly attract the runt of the bunch."

"Oi! I loved them both. Neither situation may have ended the way I wanted it to, but I'm glad I got to experience those things regardless."

"That's another thing I don't understand about you humans. You're willing to relive the worst experiences of your life. Why?"

"Because it makes us stronger knowing that we've gone through it. Gets back to what I was saying about power. It's not located within the amount of people you scare or abnormal skills you have. It's the ability to grow as a person from experiences that leave a typical person wrecked. And also, as a wise man once said : "It's better to have lost and loved than to have never loved at all."

"Doesn't make any sense."

"It's because you can't love," replied Donna, then quickly lifted a hand over her mouth. She hadn't exactly meant to say that. She hadn't even been thinking when it came out.

"You're right," Harry agreed.

"I didn't mean to say th-."

"Why not? It's true. Where compassion and love fuels the Doctor's hearts, hate and blackness depress on mine."

"I don't believe that."

"You just said it."

"I didn't mean it."

"Of course you meant it."

"Don't you dare tell me what I do and don't mean!"

"Ah...and here comes the tigress."

"I didn't mean it. Just like you didn't mean to puncture a life threatening wound into my impeccable lips."

"I retrieve my apology. I did mean it."

"I don't believe you."

"Of course you do because-."

"Yeah, yeah. Heard it all before. You're the "Master"."

"Nice to know that you are capable of some knowledge."

"It comes and it goes."

"I'm guessing it goes more often."

"Just like your seduction skills. Or lack there of."

This time, they both met each others eyes and Donna had to repress a shudder from what she saw there. It was the same look they'd shared before they had shagged each other the night before.

_My god, that's depressing. He gets me in the mood by insulting me. _

Harry seemed to come to a somewhat same conclusion. However, nothing more left his lips as his body shifted toward Donna's. One knee placed itself on the bed while the Time Lord's arms pushed him into a pouncing position.

This time, there was absolutely nowhere for Donna to have leapt away to. He jumped on her quickly and heavily, pinning her body down with his excited form. Excited from head to toe.

There was a bit of a struggle on Donna's part as she tried to throw him off with her hips, but he remained steady. His arms covered her wrists domineeringly while his legs on either side of her, kept hers side by side in the middle.

"Oh what am I going to do with you?" Harry throatily expressed.

He didn't wait for a reply as his lips dove into hers. The greatest surprise of all was that instead of expecting to feel aggression or force, his lips were unnaturally gentle. Whether this was part of his plan for seduction or maybe because he'd felt bad for tearing into her lips, Donna was unsure of. What she was sure of was that it was completely unexpected and completely delicious.

His lips maneuevered smoothly and expertly, taking her advice from earlier regarding not divulging all of the passion at once. The kisses were precise and indulgent, but not just for himself. Donna felt an almost hesitant approach towards her, as if he was asking her permission to advance further. Of course this was a silly thought but when she opened her mouth to him, she felt like she'd just opened Pandora's box.

Harry transformed into a kneeling position on the bed and released her arms but not before licking away all of the blood that had dried crustily on her bottom lip. Almost like an animal.

"Don't tell me you've got a blood fetish," Donna whispered, the breath from her mouth literally being taken away from her.

"No. But I've got to say that after this...I might have a Donna fetish," he divulged, allowing one of his hands to tangle itself into her hair as the other skipped playfully underneath her stomach.

Not allowing an answer back, his lips became entangled with hers again. A slight graze of the teeth was Harry's doing as he for once, didn't attempt to dominate someone's lips. He allowed Donna to control the movement of their tongues while trying very hard to suppress a moan.

_Why am I always the first one to moan? That's got to change._

Donna had no idea what she was thinking, allowing herself to get carried away so quickly. She'd thought that it'd be easy to just bat away his hands or avoid his kissing since he remained particularly selfish with them. But this new form of kissing along with his comment about developing a fetish for her, stirred not only something inside the lower half of her body, but also in her heart. And THAT feeling, scared her.

_This was only supposed to be a failed seduction. I would pretend to like it and then when he was into it, I'd push him away and grab the teleporter. Back to my house and away from the mental Time Lord._

But that certainly was not happening. In fact, the hand that had been in her hair, had stealthily moved to the hip of her jeans. His fingers would caress the flesh harshly and then softly, the mixture becoming a perfect synchronicity with the pounding of her heart.

And then she let out the moan. In it, caged passion and need dispersed into the air above them. When she saw Harry's reaction to it, Donna didn't think she'd witnessed a sexier expression. His eyebrows were carved into two confused lines but his eyes spoke a very excited pleasure. While normally an upturn of his lips signified arrogance, this time a sensitive relief graced them.

_I've got to get out of his arms. It's going to happen again, damn it! _

When Harry dove back into her lips, Donna began moving her straightened leg up into a verticle angle. Not noticeably and certainly not as high as Harry's open knees were, but enough for strength to be located inside of it. Because right there and then, Donna made a decision.

Her eyes had opened up as she struggled to keep her lips convincingly involved within his. There was a pang of sorrow that had overtaken her heart momentarily when she thought of what she was about to do, but it was quickly set aside. There was a difference between need and want. Her body told her that it needed this, but her mind knew without a doubt that this would end badly if it was to proceed.

So casting her eyes once more toward the other side of the room where the teleporter laid invitingly, Donna positioned her knee. Then without any warning, she swung it up and right into Harry's crotch.

When she felt his weight attempt to crumble on her, she pushed him to the side and winced as she heard a second groan from hitting the floor. Stumbling off the other side of the bed, Donna forced her body to start running. However, so fast was she in her momentum that she hadn't even had the slightest chance to stop when a figure appeared out of nowhere in front of her.

"Jack!" Donna exclaimed and then slammed into him.

They too fell to the ground, Donna hanging on to Jack's surprised frame. On the other side of the room, one very aggravated and frustrated Time Lord was trying to fight off the very painful throbbing he was experiencing when Donna had kneed him in his very aroused anatomy.

_Oh, she is dead._

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><p><strong>In my mind, I imagine Harry's seduction to be awkward. Especially since he's never had to seduce someone. He's always either manipulated them or forced them mentally to submit to him. But he's obviously not one to give up once and neither is Donna ;). Hope you liked that and tell me what you're thinking in a review since crap is going down.<strong>


	16. Green Eyed Monster Strikes Again

**And on we go. Thanks to the few reviews I got for the last chapter and that's whom this story is partly dedicated to. My reviewers who I'd probably lose the will to keep this story going, if not for them. Enjoy. **

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><p><strong>Green Eyed Monster Strikes Again<strong>

When Donna fell on top of Jack, there was a brief misunderstanding between the two. Although Donna had successfully dodged Harry's clutches, it didn't mean that she wasn't left unaffected by his actions. More to the point, as she laid on Jack's fallen form, certain parts of her body were still left in the heated passion she'd had carried out on her only moments ago. Certain parts that when Jack felt with his own body, actually had the decency to make him blush.

"Don't worry, not for you time boy," Donna managed to groan out as she worked on standing back up.

Jack smiled as he helped lift her to a standing position.

"Maybe one day," he grinned.

As Donna steadily balanced herself, she noticed the grip that Jack still had on her hand.

"Plan on holding my hand all day, sunshine?" she chirped, relief finally pouring into her at seeing a familiar face.

"Sorry. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Jack asked, concern marring his features.

Donna laughed softly and then sadly.

"That's more concern you've shown me in two minutes than the Doctor shows me in a day."

Again, the time agent smiled. He was extremely relieved that she was alive, but wondered why it was that she wasn't hurt. Not that he ever wanted to see Donna hurt. But knowing what he knew about Harry, he couldn't help but notice a definite oddity in the relationship between the pair.

"Where's the Master?" Jack questioned, and then nearly fell to the ground again as Donna lunged at him.

"I'm sorry," Donna began, wrapping her arms around him tightly, "it's just that I didn't get a proper hug from you, four years ago on board the Tardis. To be honest, it's been bugging me ever since. Had to restrain myself in the kitchen so I didn't embarrass you."

Closing his eyes just as the Time Lord lifted his head from the other side of the room, Jack embraced Donna heartily. It was true. Even though he remembered her pushing Sarah Jane out of the way, a bit hazardously may he add, in order to get a hug, the hug remained short lived. The feeling of her in his arms made him wonder for the first time since he'd come to London, whether his feelings for her could develop into something more. Not that he wanted that right now. But maybe if she came back with him.

Of course there was always that fear that Jack had about getting bored with a person. It'd happened to him numerous times. Men, women, sexes that didn't fall in between the two. Anytime he thought that just maybe he had discovered somebody new, somebody fresh and unlike anyone he'd ever met, that same boredom crept into the relationship and made him seek out other partners. He'd never forgive himself if he did that to Donna. Plus, her family would probably hunt him down and actually find a way to kill him.

So, as easily as those thoughts polluted his head, they slipped away. He liked Donna as a friend and intended to keep it that way for both of their sakes.

"Don't be sorry. You're a gre-."

The rest of Jack's sentence was cut off as Donna watched before her eyes, the time agent get hit by a bolt of blue lightning and then slam into the wall behind him. Spinning around, Donna uneasily watched the Time Lord turn his murderous eyes toward her.

"Well...shit," Donna stated and then took off running into the other room, forgetting the teleporter that had laid only inches away from her.

Harry followed like a cat would chase a mouse. He was absolutely seething, but not for the reason Donna would have thought. It was well played, he decided, her actions. She truly was difficult to seduce. But Harry had it figured out. She liked the softness at first and then the gradual dismissal of rules and descent into passion. She liked to be just as in control as he was. Equals.

Yet, she couldn't dislodge the logic from her mind. No matter how into it she got, Donna never lost her sense of self. And that, Harry realized, was what he had to change. He wanted to send her to the brink of passion with no way back. For her to choose willingly the fate he had in store for her because it wasn't just him chasing her. She had to allow herself to be chased.

Despite the very painful reminder in between his legs of who exactly it was that Harry was dealing with, it only made the chase that more enjoyable. And that chase would end with him on top of her, using her just like he meant to when he first kidnapped her.

That was the plan, until the freak showed up. As Harry was clutching at his limbs on the floor, he heard the freak's voice out of nowhere. So self assured and cocky. He hated him almost more than he hated the Doctor.

The hate only proceeded to rise when Harry finally lifted himself off of the ground and watched Donna embrace the freak. Something made him shiver in rage. Something that growled inside of him to back off and keep his hands off of...

And that was when he sent the bolt across the room, anger consuming him. It felt just like when he had been tied to the chair in the Noble kitchen, watching the Doctor kiss Donna. The feeling that consumed him was forceful and all but rational. If Harry really wanted to think deeply about it, he could almost make out that it was pure, unadulterated jealousy.

He didn't end up thinking about it deeply and instead, chased Donna into the other room, but not before kicking the freak in the head once. All that occupied his mind was an even more frenzied need to catch the spirited companion.

As Harry entered the room, Donna considered her options as quick as her mind allowed her to. It was times like these where she really wished that the Time Lord intelligence she previously had, was with her once more. She could only think of keeping him talking but how could she get past him?

"That was one hell of a kick," Harry stated excitedly, his eyes ignoring everything in the room but the redhead.

"Oh don't you worry, there's more where that came from," Donna replied hastily.

"I look forward to it."

"You're one of those sick blokes, aren't you?"

"In what way do I resemble a fatally ill man?"

"No! I mean you've not only got a blood fetish but a hankering for getting kicked in the crotch."

"You'd like that now, wouldn't you?"

"I'd prefer kicking you in the head to be honest."

"Why is it that I always fall into these banters with you?"

"Because you lack the ability to walk away from a losing battle."

"See now that's where I think you're wrong Miss Noble. I think I'm winning. In fact, I think I'm going to win again and again and again, and...again."

The last again was said in a devilishly exotic manner as Harry closed his eyes and simultaneously licked his lips.

What he was thinking about, was the last thing Donna wanted to know. Still, her plan seemed to be working. The only problem remained that through their bantering was how each of them had gotten...more apt to follow lust rather than logic. So she had to switch it back to a serious subject.

"How do you think I got my memories back?" Donna questioned, slowly pacing to her left as Harry began venturing toward his right.

"I don't care," Harry bluntly stated, his eyes not losing their hungering for a moment.

"You should. I am half Time Lord. And I came back with strange abilities," she mentioned invitingly.

Harry breathed out an aggravated sigh.

"I assume it had something to do with a time interference."

Pausing in surprise, Donna calculated the meaning of his words. She'd never heard the Doctor mention them, nor did he actually offer up any suggestions regarding her active memories.

"Time interference?"

"Yes. Now come he-."

"Listen here sunshine, and listen clear! I've just about had it with you telling me what to do. If you don't tell me what you know, I'm going to make sure that every minute of your seduction is a living hell. You think that kick to the crotch hurt? I can do a lot worse," Donna yelled threateningly. She had had it with his attempts at dominating her.

Although Harry tried staying indifferent, he couldn't help but flinch involuntarily at the thought of another kick to...anywhere.

"Damn humans. A time interference is what happens when a person's life is shifted from it's normal path by the change of one event and one event only. It's controlled typically by a vessel or very rarely, a person. The person would have to be incredibly powerful to interfere with another person's time line," Harry finished, the slightest pique of curiosity building as he recited his words.

"Aren't those just parallel worlds? Or alternate universes? What was meant to happen, didn't and there's a universe created for the event to have or not have happened," Donna argued.

"Time interferences are different. They allow for an individual point or event to not only change, but-."

The Time Lord never got to finish his sentence as he lurched forward and fell to the floor. Behind him stood Jack, the butt of his gun having hit Harry on the back of the head.

"Jack! What'd you do that for? We were finally getting somewhere," Donna shouted in frustration, trying to cover her concern for the man laying on the floor.

"I promise we'll figure it out, but quick! Grab his teleporter and get home."

Usually not one told what to do, Donna hesitated. It wasn't Jack's fault really. He'd only wanted to help her. But Harry finally said something that made relative sense. In fact, he actually said something. All the Doctor had done was promised her that they'd figure it out.

"Ask the Doctor when we get back, about whatever it was he was talking about," Jack instructed, aiming his gun at the blond man beneath him.

"Jack...what're you doing?"

There was no reply as the time agent stared venomously at Harry. Jack's gun hovered over the Time Lord's head, his sweaty finger flicking the trigger lightly.

"Don't you dare!" Donna commanded, taking the remaining steps toward Jack.

"Why? I know you weren't there damn it, but had you seen the cruelty...," Jack voiced urgently, "had you seen what he did. And still, what he does to Martha each night in her nightmares. What he makes me act like-."

"No, Jack. You're the one choosing to act like this. To act in murder. If Harry knows that he got to you, that's his ultimate victory. That's how he gets his power. You're a much better man than that," Donna shakily urged, her eyes flickering between the gun and the man at her feet.

In what seemed like the longest minute of her life, Donna finally let out a breath of relief when Jack lowered and holstered his weapon. Stepping over Harry, Donna planted herself beside Jack and took his hand into hers.

"You've got more power inside yourself than any of the bullets in your gun. Never forget that," Donna expressed.

"Thank you Donna. Sometimes...I forget about that," he admitted.

Smiling in understanding, Donna found herself being led into the other room.

"Here," Jack said, picking up Harry's teleporter, "we'll both go on the count of three. Using his will guarantee that he won't follow us anymore."

"So what do I do?"

"Think of some place safe. Most importantly for you right now, it'd be your home."

When Jack had mentioned somewhere safe, for some reason, home wasn't the place Donna thought of. Into her mind came visions of the Ood sphere. While she and the Doctor hadn't exactly gotten there at a safe time, there was no doubt in her mind that once the Ood were free to sing their song, Donna could almost call the place a second home.

Jack disappeared behind her to pick up his own device.

"Have you ever been to the Ood planet?" Donna questioned, a strange sorrow inserting itself into her voice. That sad song they sang, had been playing in their head for so long. How could the Doctor have stood it?

There was no reply so Donna went on.

"If you ever get the chance, I'd love to take you. Well, the Doctor would take you. S'not like I've got a Tardis. But it's such a beautiful place with beautiful people. I mean they're not literally people, alien and all. But they're incredibly kind."

Her thoughts traveled to her last adventure in the planet. The beings had just gotten on their feet in the 42nd century when the Doctor and herself had left. She had a sudden need to know whether things went on successfully from there or whether something else had gotten in the way.

"Are you ready Jack?"

As silence greeted her once more, Donna realized something was wrong. Slowly turning around, she held back a gasp as she saw Jack on the ground and Harry standing above him with his gun.

"Bloody hell! Will one of you just stay down?" she asked, relieved to see Jack still conscious.

Rage lit up Harry's features as he pointed the gun toward Donna instead.

"What's the point of killing someone who can't die? If I do this, it'll be so much easier."

"One problem, Saxon."

"Oh please enlighten me Miss Noble. There's absolutely nothing I wouldn't do to not hear what you have to say."

"Alright then, Mr. Sarcastic. It stems from one fact. You can't kill me."

Tilting his head viciously, Harry steadied his hand over the trigger.

"Why not?"

"You're going to hate me for saying this."

"I already hate you."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't think you're going to kill me. In fact, I think your final attempt was when you had me tied up in your room. I was completely helpless, unable to do anything and you had a very golden opportunity. But you didn't kill me. In my mind, it seems strange that you finally wish to kill me when I'm doing everything in my power to fight back. Or maybe that's what you like to do. I don't know. But, I don't think you'll allow yourself to pull that trigger," Donna voiced, the teleporter resting nervously in her hand behind her back.

His brown eyes met her steady blue ones and Donna held back her successful revelation. If Harry saw her outward victory, all of her words might as well have been spoken in vain.

Grudgingly, Harry knew she was right. Again. There was no logical reason as to why he didn't want to pull the trigger and a part of him was thankful that she didn't pursue the subject more in depth. The freak however, attempted to kick him after Harry had snapped his neck just a few minutes ago. Oh, if only he'd finally die.

Allowing his anger to travel out of the human girl, Harry instead pointed the gun at Jack's heart and pulled the trigger twice.

There was an audible gasp that escaped Donna's throat. The hold she had on the teleporter, nearly slipped from her at the sight of the blood gaping out of Jack's clothes. Even though Donna knew he couldn't die, it still hurt to see that happen to him. And to think that Harry had done this over and over and over again to him on the Valiant. Worse than just shooting him in the heart.

Uncertainty waged itself onto her features as decision time came to a closing. The bullet holes in Jack's chest were beginning to close as Harry kicked him to the side with his foot. But Donna didn't miss the signal as Jack's fingers started the countdown. In his other hand, he clutched onto his teleporter.

One.

Backing away with the teleporter in hand, Donna's eyes traveled in between Harry and Jack.

"Now, where were we?" Harry asked, throwing the gun to the other side of the room.

Two.

"It's your seduction. I can't keep track of it," Donna stated.

"Hmm," he pondered and for some unknown reason, his eyes just had to scan the floor next to her. Faster than her mind could have ever processed, Harry realized the missing artifact from the floor and understood the reason for her hands being behind her back.

"Oh no you don't," Harry laughed.

Three.

Jack vanished in a heartbeat but Donna stood frozen in nerves, her mind racing and forgetting where it is she was supposed to go. Only one place kept entering her mind and as Harry raced toward her, Donna thought of high mountains and elegant cliffs. She thought of snow crystallized pathways and peaceful atmosphere. Most unusually but perhaps importantly, Donna's head remembered the songs sung about her and the Doctor. The DoctorDonna.

And you couldn't blame her for this sudden invasion of the alien race into her mind because they are truly fascinating in their entirety. But she had been so caught up in the memories and pressed the button on the teleportation device so impulsively that she hadn't even registered teleporting, with Harry just managing to grab onto her arm before they were both gone.

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><p><strong>So for any of you who are kind of sick of me focusing on Donna's and Harry's bantering relationship, speak no further. I'm finally going to actually get into the reason and mystery behind Donna's memory loss. I may have spent a little too long on the pair anyway. Although originally, I had planned on...well, I guess you'll just have to stick with me. Let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	17. For the Love of Ood!

**On to the next chapter. Thanks again for the reviews on the last chapter. You all know who you are. Hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong><strong>For the Love of Ood!<strong>**

Teleporting, Donna discovered, was one of the most nauseating things she'd ever experienced. Teleporting with a Time Lord attached to her, certainly didn't help the situation either. However, before she had any time to complain, Donna felt ground beneath her. Whether she wanted to breath a sigh of relief or vomit, it wasn't quite clear.

They both fell unceremoniously into the brown dirt, rubbing at their bruised backs. Above them, a translucent pale blue sky signaled the change from morning to afternoon. Around them, majestic cliffs and illuminating mountains graced as tall as the eye could see. The atmosphere was much cleaner than Donna had ever inhaled. Most likely from the lack of pollution by the alien race.

"Was your family planning on relocating to the Horsehead Nebula?" Harry asked beside her, failing to hide his surprise at their current location.

"How'd you guess it was the Horsehead Nebula so fast?" Donna questioned as she brushed the dirt off her self.

"There," he pointed out, lifting his finger to point at the sky.

"Can't see it," she complained, still weary of nearing the Time Lord.

Turning his head to look at her, Harry grabbed Donna's closest arm and pulled her to him. Before she had a chance to protest, he lifted his hand up along with hers and pointed again at the sky. This time, Donna's jaw almost dropped as she witnessed the multiple moons in the distance as well as the sun, a crusted orange around it.

"If you look past the Moons of Hiezor, you can just barely see the constellation of the Horsehead's mane. Stopped by briefly in this galaxy once...bad timing though. The Millennium War was just beginning to rage," Harry spoke knowingly.

Donna stood mesmerized, and not just because she had located the constellation he was referring to. It was because had she at that moment closed her eyes, she would have never been able to tell Harry's voice apart from the Doctor's. Perhaps in sound but most definitely not in knowledge. Almost as if by taking a look at another world, rekindled some sort of intelligent enjoyment for Harry.

Her face started to burn though when she realized that a minute later and Harry was still holding on to her hand, though not as forcefully as before. Not even five seconds later and he snapped out of it, throwing Donna's arm back at her. Stepping away, he studied the scenery briefly before setting dangerous eyes onto her.

"I don't see the freak anywhere. Guessing this isn't quite where you'd planned to meet him."

"Right," Donna concluded, shifting her gaze down at her hands which clutched the teleporting device.

She was slightly embarrassed for having teleported them both here. It wasn't like she thought of this planet on a daily basis. However, something within her stirred right before she pressed down on the button and as a result, they now currently stood on the Ood sphere.

"Alright...well, I'll just teleport us back by-," Donna paused, the teleporter in her hand suddenly erupting in smoke.

Harry grabbed it out of her hands and turned it upside down, struggling to get the device open. He was too late however as the smoke evaporated and the fuses inside, burnt out into useless wires.

They both met each others eyes after the implosion of the device and Donna cringed as Harry began laughing. This wasn't one of the ones that would put a small smile on Donna's face or secretly make her wish he'd use more of it. No, this one was bitter and cold.

"Amazing! I'm stuck on a planet with the Doctor's idiot companion," he angrily commented.

Two minutes later and Harry dearly wished that he'd had time to rethink that statement. Especially as he held his hand to his nose, trying to stop the bleeding that was currently spilling forth from it.

"Now, what was this about me being an idiot?" Donna smirked, stretching out her fingers from the impact.

She was only met with a growling noise and a dirty stare.

Still, Harry did have a point. With the teleporter dead, Donna tried not to think the worst of the situation. Last time she checked, the Ood were a peaceful race and although their surroundings were barren, walking to a populated city in the distance wasn't out of the question. The problem was that she now had an aggravated Time Lord on her hands and no way home.

Cursing herself for even allowing any thoughts of the Ood Sphere to penetrate her mind, Donna began walking towards the nearest looking city. What the buildings were made of, Donna wasn't quite sure of but from afar, they appeared to be part crystals and part ground.

"Where are you going?" Harry demanded, following behind her.

"Civilization. The Ood are a friendly people. Hopefully they've got not only a way home, but information," she informed back.

Harry's head was spinning at the situation he suddenly found himself in. He also cursed himself for grabbing on to the redhead at the last minute. It was such a thoughtless move, but he assumed that he'd get to her before she had a chance to activate the device. He also assumed that she wouldn't teleport them to a bloody different planet!

But nevertheless, when he recognized the nebula, a silent awakening of knowledge coarsed through him. There was even a tiny bit of him that admitted that he was proud to be have been able to show Donna where exactly they were. Call it the incredibly tiny good that he had buried very deep within him.

Yet, she had thrown him off when she mentioned that information was also something worth seeking from the race. He'd thought that the Ood were still controlled by repulsive humans.

"Aren't this planet's species still slaves of the humans?"

"No. About four years ago...it was the 42nd century and the Doctor and I managed to free the Ood. Back when I was still traveling with him. They're now a free race," Donna beamed, remembering the joy of their adventure.

The Time Lord bit down the callous remark he had toward the Doctor, and instead decided on picking Donna's mind. It seemed like his plan was thrown out the window and she had a brand new one of her own. That didn't exactly please him too much.

"What do you mean by information?"

"Well, the last time the Doctor and I were here, the Ood predicted the merging of our DNA and the creation of the DoctorDonna. They have this incredible psychic connection with each other and have a knack for understanding the ways of the universe. Maybe they'd felt the time interference. Or know what's behind it," Donna speculated.

"You're actually taking my word on the time interference?" Harry sputtered, surprise again meeting his features.

"Of course. It's the only lead we've got so far. Unless you know anything more. Or want to tell me more about how a time interference works," she suggested.

Unsurprisingly, Harry remained tight lipped. Not happy with the situation and nursing not only his bleeding nose but also the slight pain that would erupt around the lower half of his body from an earlier kick by a certain human, he vowed not to say anything. All he thought of was finding a way back to Earth and then revising his plan for revenge. He maintained the idea of seduction still, but there was a second thought now about how mobile he was going to allow Donna to be.

_Damn it, I'm not letting her have this power over me!_

So for the next hour, Harry's mind allowed itself to be swept away by thoughts of victory and superiority over the companion. How it would taste in the end, figuratively of course. The ultimate gloating and truly revengeful ending to a very wild ride.

He hit a wall though when he thought of what he would do after he got done with Donna. His life had been so stagnant and uneventful inside that house. The only rush of pleasure he'd partake in included terrorizing stupid humans and reading. Not exactly in that order.

Would he just lay back in that bed that now would forever smell of the redhead's passionfruit scent, and allow boredom to sweep over him? Read another book or think about killing another human?

Why did it seem like as soon as the redhead had knocked on his door, a knowing look in her eye as well as a personality unlike any he'd ever met, his life seemed to have changed? No more irksome stare downs with the wall across his bed. No more listening to the same sounds outside the house, engraving themselves unnaturally into his memory. No more bloody drums!

How was it that within just a few days and just a few actions, Donna had given him more adventure than he had since his days as prime minister?

An adventure that he at times, had to admit that he enjoyed. Definitely not the getting hit by the freak part or lectured to by the Doctor. Or being held hostage in the Noble house. But maybe the arguing with Donna and enjoying the weird contact were two things that had managed to absolutely unleash him. In ways that had always buried themselves underneath the harshness and cold he'd built up inside of him. God, he was more like the Doctor than he realized.

What did this all mean? There was a shudder ready to break out in him at the thought that he might actually have feelings for her.

Perhaps though, the feelings weren't all bad. He unfortunately came to the conclusion that he couldn't kill her. Not now and it seemed like not ever. But that didn't mean he wasn't completely mute to the thought of torture. Still, it was difficult for his mind to exactly grasp onto physically hurting her. Normally this would have had the Time Lord panicking, but he surprised himself once more by taking this quite calmly. Perhaps in a day or two, if she kept up kicking and punching and annoying him, he'd snap out of this delicate like he'd gained toward her and then snap her neck. Or maybe just torture her. Or maybe just...

And then panic did insert into his mind. He had to hurt her somehow. Deeply. Because if he didn't, then he would have to start dealing with a side of him that he'd never had to deal with before. A side of him that Harry thought had died long ago.

"Do you hear that?" Donna asked after an hour of walking.

Neither were sweaty from the expedition since the sun hit them just beneath a cool wind that acted as a shield on what would normally be a scorching day.

Harry didn't reply but he did hear what it was she was referring to. In the distance it swept over them like a melodic wave of intertwining sorrow and triumph : the song of the Ood.

At first, the song rang out in harrowed somberness, relaying the unjust enslavement and cruel loss of the race. The wind only seemed to gather the rawness of the tune, sending it out over planes and plateaus alike.

Donna had stopped in her tracks, and closed her eyes. This song would forever have an impact on her. Of all the things she did, all the things she saw. All the reasons why she continuously traveled with the Doctor.

But her eyes shot open when the second melody came in, a valiant call to the friends of the Ood who'd set the race free. This tune was wrapped in gratitude and peace, a soft yearning for freedom that had finally come true thanks to the Doctor and Donna.

Keeping the tears at bay this time, Donna only let out a deep breath as the melody dispersed gently into the atmosphere. She wished the Doctor was there to hear it.

"Looks like we've only got a half hour's walk at most," Donna commented as they began their travels once more.

The city they'd taken in an hour ago, had rapidly approached their eyes. Up close, there were definite crystal structures that made up some of the buildings. Others were risen right up out of the ground but seemed just as in tact and bustling as the ones contrived of the glimmering quartz.

"Harry?" Donna questioned behind her suddenly.

Rolling his eyes at the human name, Harry decided to be kind and actually converse. He needed some amusement and distraction from his thoughts.

"What?" he growled.

"Be nice...to the Ood," she mentioned and then shot a look his way that clearly said any other type of behavior would end in something very bad.

"I'm always nice."

"Oh yeah, and my grams is the queen."

"Was the Doctor "nice" to the Ood?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll always be kind and gracious to the friends of the Doctor."

"That's the attitude I'm looking for."

"You are unbelievable."

Stopping abruptly in her tracks, Donna spun around and took in Harry's expression. Although the sarcasm was duly noted in his voice, there was a tiny smile displayed on his lips.

"Thank you."

And she meant it because she knew he meant it as well, even when he got a confused look on his face at her sudden warmth.

15 minutes later, Donna finally had a proper chance to marvel at the Ood city. Marvelous wasn't even a word to truly describe it. Bridges and carefully intricate stairways above them littered the silver crystallized buildings that sparkled even heavier under the sunlight. Trailways in between the buildings were like a meandering river, carefully circling or entering the appropriate destinations. Abnormally high but not gigantic, the crystal buildings stood tall in their narrowly rigid form. The ones made of the dirt beneath their feet and the sturdy ground, didn't reach as tall as the crystal buildings but their inviting atmosphere didn't steer Donna away from wanting to see the inside of them.

On some of the bridges above, Donna could make out Ood walking across. Some appeared to be in conversation while others simply walked in solitary silence.

Entering the city, Donna noticed curiously above her some metal platforms attached to certain buildings. Some of these platforms were empty but one of two of them held two separate gray space ships. Not like a Tardis space ship but proper space ships.

Momentarily, the redhead was worried. While any species could be the owner of the space ships, she had a certain belief that the space ships were of human property. Especially since she could read in sharp, black letters on one of the ships : Exploration Ships of the Great Human Empire.

"Oh great! More humans," Harry grumbled behind her, noticing the ships.

Peeling her eyes off of the ships for the last time, Donna noticed an Ood walking their way. He was by himself and wore a black suit.

_Wow, when did Versace start designing their clothes?_

Feeling the Time Lord stop right behind her, she gave him one last warning glance to be good before turning back to face an Ood.

"Hello. I-I'm Donna. Donna Noble. I came here four years ago with the Doctor," Donna stated.

The Ood only tilted its head to the left.

"This here," Donna explained, grabbing the blond Time Lord's hand, "is my friend Harry. We teleported here but our teleporter broke soon after. Do you think...if it might be alright...do you think you can help us find a way back to Earth?"

This time, the Ood straightened it's features and closed it's eyes.

"Do you normally put the Ood to sleep with your bad introductions?" Harry muttered into her ear.

"Oh shut it," Donna mumbled back.

Finally, the Ood opened its eyes and stated, "Donna Noble, friend of the Ood. We have been expecting your arrival. Come with me, we have much to discuss."

Throwing a confused glance behind her, Donna ignored the fact that she was still holding Harry's hand and followed the Ood into the city.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Jack! What happened? Where's Donna?"

Jack lurched forward - an aftermath of his teleporter. Martha helped him up quickly, and then seated him on a kitchen chair where he proceeded to cough up the bullets that the Master had shot into him.

After seeing these, the Doctor only gave an apologetic glance before quizzically looking at him for answers.

"She had the teleporter. The Master's. I told her on three that we'd both teleport here. On three, I left but she was still there. I-I don't know what happened. But I know where she was. The particles the Master gave off weren't completely accurate so I had to teleport to some wrong places to get to the side of London he was at. But at least I know the way now," Jack informed, and then coughed some more.

"Well go back! If he still has Donna...," Syvlia angrily suggested.

"No. Donna wasn't thinking of here when she pushed the button on the teleporter," the Doctor spoke, his voice going soft and inquisitive.

"When I left, the Master jumped at her," Jack remembered uneasily.

"Which explains why I can't sense him anymore. Wherever Donna was thinking of right before she teleported, it was a different planet. Or universe. And she took the Master with her," the Doctor finished.

A strange silence emerged over the residents of the Noble house.

"I'm sorry Doctor. I had a chance to get back here with her but I...," Jack said, thinking of his failed attempt at trying to kill the Master.

"It's alright Jack. We'll find her," the Doctor relayed, "But I need to know what you told her to think of right before you teleported."

"Only of some place safe. Then I mentioned that it should be here, her home. I don't know what else she could have thought of."

The Doctor's eyes lit up in thought, but quickly dimmed as he thought of what had occurred only minutes before Jack teleported back.

So when the Doctor next saw Jack, a new shirt replacing his old blood stained one, he pulled him over to the side. That side included a table with a telephone on it.

"What's going on?" Jack questioned, noting the pale look on the Doctor's face.

"Right before Donna left, she phoned her friend Stacy. Stacy was one of the women that Donna went out to the pub with on Sunday night. Not even an hour after you left, she called back," the Doctor explained.

Jack's eyes turned inquisitively toward the phone that the Doctor began fiddling with. After a few short seconds, the recorded conversation between Sylvia and Stacy started playing to Jack's curious ears:

"Hello?"

"Oi, how are you Sylvia? It's Stacy."

"Stacy! Doctor, come quick! It's Stacy!"

"Sounds like you're having a bloody party without me."

"No. I'm just relieved you called. Did you get Donna's message?"

"Yeah, I did. To be honest, I didn't think she'd even remember me being there with her. Or maybe I didn't want her to. She's still not tiffed that I left without her, is she? You know Donna. She'll say she's not tiffed but you see her again and-."

"Stacy."

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is the Doctor. Now listen very carefully. When you went out to the pub on Sunday night, do you remember anything suspicious? Anything that seemed odd about that night?"

"You mean besides the dysfunctional crowd usually scattered about there?"

"Yes. Anything strange. At all."

At this point, silence spread over the line for a minute.

"No. I honestly can't remember. I wasn't too pissed but Donna was easily on her seventh drink of the night when I decided to leave with Nigel. He's the bloke I met there."

"Nothing odd at all?"

"No. There were the normal pigs who kept running their hands all over any woman that went by. Usual drinks, had the football crowd in the background, cheering at a late match. Really, nothing out of the ordinary."

"You're absolutely sure?"

Jack made out the desperation in the Doctor's voice.

Another silence claimed the line, this one for thirty seconds.

"Wait...Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"There was something kind of odd...I mean...it could be nothing."

"No, no, that's good! Usually the nothing could mean a something!"

"Donna's not shagging you, is she?"

An audible squeak left the Doctor's lips at the comment.

"Of course not."

"Okay. Just making sure. I've got no idea who I'm telling this to, you know?"

"I understand."

"Right...well you've got your typical bar crowd. You've got your typical crowd of blokes. Usually most of em are horny little bastards by the time their on their third drink. You've also got the quiet drinkers who kind of just stare off into their Scotch or Whiskey. Donna and I call em the depressed pissers. Now don't get me wrong, Donna's a pretty girl, but if a man wanted to buy her a drink, they'd have to get pretty pissed. Especially the ones that knew Donna. She's not one to exactly say yes right away."

"Okay."

"So we all ordered our first drinks and then our second. Cady left a little while afterward. Had to wake up early to teach. But Donna, Joan and I kept on hitting them. After a third martini, Donna ran out of the pocket money she had on her. She'd left her wallet at Shaun's. We were all a bit blurry by then, but not completely wrecked. Well what's a girl to do if she's got no money and really needs some more drinks to forget everything? Go catch a guy's fancy."

"Flirt with a man so he'd buy her another drink?"

"Yeah. We offered to pay for her drinks but Donna refused. Said it was some sort of rebellion against her boyfriend. Whatever that meant. That's when the strange thing happened and I hadn't even noticed it or really thought about it until you mentioned something odd."

"Yes?"

"There was this bloke sitting in the depressed pissers section of the pub. Joan had mentioned to me that he'd be the first one to buy her a drink since he'd been staring at Donna the longest. And not just casual glances that mates will throw a girl. It was a full blown stare. Course Donna didn't know. And it's not exactly like you can arrest a bloke for staring at you, right?"

"Yes."

"Joan was right and the first drink came courtesy of the mysterious man. Donna came back with a martini vodka and despite not being properly sober, she did mention that it was weird the guy knew exactly what she liked to drink. Then, we got back to the drinking and Donna kept going back up to the bar. The bloke actually left his section after that and delivered the drinks personally to her. If you say that Donna couldn't remember what happened Sunday night, I'd say her mind must have gone sometime after her fourth drink. But this guy just kept giving her drink after drink, paying for em all. Not to kill her or anything, but I dunno. Just to get her loose? I met Nigel soon afterward and we sneaked out. Tell Donna I'm sorry, will you?"

"Of course. So the man that kept on paying for her drinks, how many did he pay for?"

"I'd have to say maybe four. But that was before I left."

"And did he say anything to her? Say anything to you?"

"Not a bloody word. Just watched her at first. Donna kind of ignored him after he started paying for her drinks. Probably assumed he was one of those types that were trying to get you pissed enough to go off and shag. But he didn't seem like that's what he was doing. When I left, she was taking her seventh drink to the telly to watch the West Ham match. The guy stayed put, but kept his eyes on her."

The Doctor let out a deep sigh.

"That's all you saw before you left?"

"Sorry. Rest of the time I spent getting charmed by Nigel. Great bloke. Speaking of great blokes, I've got to get running. He's promised me a proper date tonight."

"Okay. Just a quick last thing. Is there anything you can remember about the man? Physical features or any noticeable characteristics? Anything?"

"Sorry mate, it was a blurry night, even for me. If you call Joan though, I'm sure she'll be able to tell you more. She was the one that first noticed him staring at Donna."

"Alright."

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"There is one more thing...about the physical features and all. I remember joking about it with Joan. From the other side of the room, we could notice the bloke's badly bleached blond hair. Thought he was Billy Idol or something. That's about all I could tell from that night though."

"You're positive?"

"Absolutely."

"Alright. Well, thank you."

The message ended and Jack's face soon became as pale as the Doctor's.

"Do you think?" Jack tried to state.

The Doctor closed his eyes and then exhaled.

"Yes. I do."

* * *

><p><strong>Let me know what you're thinking in a review ;).<strong>


	18. Explanations That Make No Bloody Sense

**Just curious...xiratania007, did you steal my plot notes? Is that how you figured out exactly what happened in the pub? FireFrenzy956 too...very good observation. Lol. Thanks to all those that reviewed and I'm going to say this right now, there is a lot to absorb this chapter. Lots of information and I hope it doesn't completely overwhelm you because I was thinking about splitting this chapter into two, but realized I don't have the time. ****It might literally not make any bloody sense. **

**Also...since I've got reviewers having Oodmania...I just want to let you know that you're not alone. The first time I watched the episode "The Impossible Planet", I really, really liked the Ood. Even though they were controlled by the devil, I still felt a sadness at their deaths in the end. The part where the Doctor relayed to everyone that he couldn't save all of the Ood from falling into the blackhole, was heartbreaking and I only hoped that I'd meet the Ood again. Then imagine my surprise when not only did I get to meet the Ood again, but Donna was there too in "Planet of the Ood". It was awesome...and then they appeared again in End of Time. Dressing, no joke, like Versace or Tim Gunn had tailored their suits. I don't care how many creatures try to possess the Ood or make them out to be bad, they will always be one of my favorite characters. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong><strong>Explanations That Make No Bloody Sense<strong>**

Entering the main palace of the Ood city, Donna found herself caught in a struggle. To take in all the once in a lifetime beauty that surrounded her or to ask all the questions that struck her mind. Both were abundant in their own ways, but eventually, Donna couldn't stop the questions from spilling forth.

"Do you have a name?" she questioned.

"I am the Ood Rho."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the monotonous speech of the Ood Rho. Catching his amused features, Donna quickly let go of his hand. There was a tingle left over, but she tried ignoring it. One alien species at a time.

"And Ood Rho, how is it that I'm able to understand what you're saying? The last time I was here, the Doctor's Tardis translated all alien languages telepathically. Without it, I suppose I'd just hear mumbles and jumbles."

"The Ood kind respect the Doctor and Donna. It was only fair that we respected the traditions in which they were brought up in. Languages included."

"Wow...so you lot learned a different language just because of the Doctor and I?"

"It is only customary."

Donna knew the question that was resting on Harry's mind. If the race knew Earth English then they must know...

"And Gallifreyan?" he asked, his voice strangely small in comparison to Ood Rho's.

"Of course."

The Time Lord nodded his head and the trio walked on.

Inside the palace, the crystal walls glimmered like silver fire. Further above, holes indented inside the walls, greeted the atmosphere outside. All tables or chairs were made of ancient wood or crystallized in a pale blue sparkle. However, the three traveled further than that.

Past the palace, through a hallway that led in a downward spiral to what Donna guessed to be underground the city itself, and finally in front of a pair of red curtains that were hung in place of a door. The red seemed out of place since their journey took them to the underground structure with dirt and ground support on top of them, browns and tans all around.

Ood Rho paused in front of the curtains and then turned to face Donna.

"Please enter Donna Noble. Our elder wishes to speak of events that have been entangled around you once more."

Glancing at the suddenly out of place blond behind her, Donna studied Ood Rho carefully.

"Can...can my friend Harry come in also?"

"No. It's fine. I'll wait here," the blond suddenly inserted.

The redhead noticed for the first time that Ood Rho had never once mentioned Harry's name. Even when she'd introduced him.

Ood Rho studied the two before walking through the red curtains without a reply.

"I'll stay here. See if I can get us a teleporter home," Harry tried to casually mention.

Donna however, sensed the slight waver in his voice.

"Nope. You're coming with me sunshine," Donna informed, grabbing the Time Lord's hand once more. She'd been doing a whole bunch of that lately.

"I am waiting outside," he tried to argue forcefully, but allowed his hand to be encompassed with hers.

"Oh for goodness sake! Leave your pride on the floor and get your arse in here," Donna bantered, pulling him toward the red curtain.

Desperately, Harry wanted to argue. But for some reason, he didn't know what he would have said had he opened his mouth. And a part of him was thankful that Donna didn't just leave him out. It made him feel wanted in a way different than the one he was used to.

"Besides, you might help me figure out what's happening once we hear what the Ood have to say," she explained.

"Are you sure it's just because you don't trust me not to leave without you?"

Briefly, Donna threw a glance at the Time Lord, a mildly surprised smile on her face.

"That too," she finally voiced, and then tugged Harry inside.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Hello, is this Joan?"

"Yeah. Who's asking?"

"My name is the Doctor. I'm a good friend of Donna's. Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions about last Sunday night when you went out with her to the pub?"

"Don't tell me. She's dead."

"No!"

"Oh. Well, that's a relief."

"Why'd you think she was dead?"

"She was drinking like a bloody lunatic out there."

"How long did you stay at the pub?"

"Left about an hour after Stacy did."

"And did you notice anyone hanging around Donna?"

"Just that bloke that kept buying her drinks."

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"This was while I was sober, mind you. And only when I first noticed him. Had a palish looking face, but not sickly. Couldn't tell eye color or that, but he had blond hair and was wearing a white shirt with a black jacket. Like one of those Ascott jackets that blokes wear when they're running about. Thought he was pretty handsome from far away, smooth chin, face and all that. But I didn't stand a chance with him."

"Why's that?"

"You should have seen the way he was eying Donna. Definitely like he knew her, but Donna swore on her dad's grave that she'd never seen him in her life. But she was on her fourth by then and I doubt she could really comprehend whether she'd seen him before or not."

"Weren't you concerned with the amount of attention she was receiving?"

"It's a bloody pub! Sure the bloke was a bit strange but Donna fully approved. He bought her drinks and she accepted."

At this point, Jack motioned for the Doctor to pause the conversation.

"What is it?" the Doctor asked.

"If it is who we think it is, then he gave her back her memories how exactly?" Jack questioned.

"Well, they've all said he bought her drinks. Must have been some sort of digestible liquid."

"He gave her liquid memories?"

"No, that's stupid. And not possible. But he could have created or fused all of her lost memories."

"Why buy drinks for her though? Once he fused the memories together, why not give them back to her in person or at least let her know what they were?"

"I've got a few theories on that. My first one is that he didn't want her to know who he was. A night of good drinking will erase all memories of the night prior. You don't need a drug for that. Which leads into my second theory. If one was to give back a person's lost memories all at one time, I think Donna's head indeed might have exploded. The amount of energy and processed particles from the lost memories would have been too much essence for her mind to take, especially the Time Lord part. But he was smart and figured that out. In gradual amounts though a process such as a beverage, I'd assume the memory regain process would flow by smoothly and less dangerously. Considerably less dangerously. He was able to alter not only how much Donna remembered, but how."

"So he gave her part of her memories through the drinks he bought her? In portions?"

"Right..."

"And the extra abilities she got with the memories?"

"Haven't a clue about them yet."

Flipping the phone back to his ear, the Doctor hurriedly reignited the conversation.

"Now, listen carefully. From what you remember Joan, what were the intervals between the man buying her the drinks? Did she have one at a time or did he just give them to her in one sum?"

"I'm not a damn mathematician."

"I know and I'm really sorry to have to put this on you, but it's absolutely crucial that you try to remember this."

"Alright then. I'd have to say that in time difference between the first drink he bought her and the second, maybe a difference of eight minutes. Donna's a sturdy drinker but it seemed like the bloke knew that and intentionally bought her another drink every eight minutes or so. But don't quote me on that!"

The Doctor gestured eight fingers to Jack who wrote it down on a pad of paper nearby.

"Thank you so much Joan."

"No problem. Is Donna alright? In any sort of trouble?"

"Course not. Keen as a peach. Just wanted some help remembering what happened that night."

"Okay. Tell her I'll see her sometime this weekend."

"Absolutely..."

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"The bloke that kept buying her drinks?"

"Yes?"

"This is gonna sound mad..."

"The best kind of information!"

"He looked-...he looked like the old prime minister. You know the one that disappeared after election some years ago? Course that sounds mad but that was the first thing I noticed about him. But he was blond and the minister was brunette. Doesn't make any sense, right?"

Flicking his hand into his hair, the Doctor scratched in nervous trepidation.

"Thank you," he finally replied and hung up.

"So what do we know?" Jack asked, noting everything they'd learned and discussed.

"On Sunday night, Donna consumed periodic drinks with a memory ramification inside each drink. The man who bought them for her, we assume from the outcome, knew Donna incredibly, incredibly well, knew how to fuse together a memory basis of two years and knew how to safely give them back to her. Meaning he didn't want to kill her."

"So the bastard knew all along-."

"No. I don't think he was the present one. Especially from his actions. Sitting in a pub full of humans. It's unheard of for him. Especially without harming one of them. Then the attire and cleanliness. Followed by his actions toward Donna."

"Does this mean that he ends up stealing your Tardis in the near future? But why would he go back to give Donna her memories back? What's so important about that?"

"I don't think he steals the Tardis. In fact, I don't think that version of him even exists yet. Have you ever heard of a time interference?"

"Very briefly. I remember something about it from my days as a time agent."

"And what do you know?"

"It's not a product of a parallel universe."

"And?"

"A futuristic vessel or object is able to change the course of a person's destiny in the past. The whole thing always confused me."

"What else?"

"The changed event can only occur one time per person and it's rare that the change is intentional. Time interferences sometimes work their ways into people's lives as a result of too much interferences in destinies. So many people's destinies head one way in time that there's not always enough room in the time universe to grant them that destiny. Time then connects to a vessel or object and sends it in one of the many destinies in order to alter it. But Doctor, surely it can't be possible."

"Anything else you remember?"

"Once that person's path is altered by the object or vessel, the threat of a multi-destiny collision is averted and time continues."

"Good."

"But what are you saying? I never believed that time worked that way in such a straight path."

"It doesn't. Eventually, destinies of beings travel the same road. What stops an overload of time interferences is the natural ability for beings to change their destinies. This continuous change is why it's so important for species to retain free will. Without it, their destinies would merge into one time path and create chaos."

"And your race created this confusing mess?"

"It was an ancient law. Later replaced by what is today's time law. But on occasion, time interferences do occur. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst."

"So how does this relate to Donna?"

The Time Lord took a deep breath this time, spent from just reciting what would normally once have been an easy speech. Inconspicuously, the crinkles around his eyes deepened.

"Very rarely, and by very rarely I mean so rare that even the tiniest bit of chance is outnumbered...oh 74.957284 billion to one. That rarity is the control of a time interference by a person. But not just some regular old person. If anybody could control a time interference, think all the histories of all the planets of all the universes that they'd be able to change. Because it was a Time Lord law, only a Time Lord was allowed to control a time interference. However, with a replacement of a new time law, the old one was forgotten because of its complexities. It wasn't only tricky to access a time interference but the being had to be incredibly powerful. And I mean really, really powerful."

"He began a time interference?"

"Yes. A future version of him did at least by using Donna's time line and placing himself in it. He himself was the time interference."

"But what's so special about changing Donna's memories back?"

"I assume it was to turn her against me. Perhaps he could have persuaded her into changing sides..."

"But why Donna? He could have gone back right before Rose was sucked into the alternate universe. Or all the hours he had on board the Valiant, he could have changed Martha's mind. Why did he target Donna?"

"He knows how much she means to me."

"Damn it, you're not listening to what I'm saying Doctor! None of this makes any sense," Jack shouted, banging his fist on a nearby table.

"How?" the Doctor questioned, baffled at his words and his actions.

"Why would the Master, yes I'm finally saying his name because you refuse to, cause a time interference? It's unnecessary if he's become that powerful in the future"

"Yes. It's incredibly tricky because time itself can focus an object to travel any place at any time to interfere with a destiny. To have someone control time, is risky. If he altered time too much..."

"But he didn't! I don't think this is about you, Doctor."

"What is it about then?"

"Donna."

For once speechless, the Doctor closed his eyes and then wearily opened them again.

"Sorry," Jack stated, calming his self.

"No, I need another perspective on this. It doesn't sound right to me either. But...is it wrong of me to hope that it has nothing to do with Donna? He is my friend but it's difficult to believe that all the malice and thoughts of revenge would leave him so soon. I mean...how much could the Master have changed?"

"A lot," Jack explained, slight disbelief building at the thought of actually defending the Master's actions.

"In what ways?"

"Haven't you noticed anything different about him lately? Even in the brief time that he was here?" Jack asked.

"The brown in his hair is coming back."

"Okay...let me rephrase. Anything different about him since Donna intruded into his life?"

The Doctor remembered the sensations he felt from the other Time Lord on the night that Donna found him. Emotions and sensations that were so unlike him. Joy, euphoria, desire, and calm. And it only progressed from then on because emotions like spite and suffering became less frequent in the Master. He eased a cool calm that unnerved the Doctor more than he liked to admit.

"His emotions seem more stable..."

"When I came to get Donna, not a single mark on her. In fact, she'd hit him when I got there. And eventually, he pointed my gun at her but she convinced him not to shoot her. There is something strange in the relationship between them. Something that is happening because...because of the time interference. I mean if she never would have gotten her memories back, she never would have met the Master. The future version of him knew somehow that she'd find a way to meet him."

"And why would the Master want the past version to meet her?"

"Because that difference that both you and Joan noticed from the Master in the pub, the future Master, is what I think the outcome is. In some strange way...and of course I could be sorely mistaken and there is actually an undertone of evil and madness in this, but I think he's doing this to make himself happy. Of course it doesn't make complete sense and I feel like there's still a few puzzle pieces missing, but that's my theory on that," Jack declared proudly.

Blowing out a deep breath, the Doctor thought about everything Jack had said and the sensibility of it.

"Alright...let's just say that by chance, the Master did create a time interference. And this time interference was to change Donna's time line so that she meets him by regaining her memories courtesy of him. Besides the fact that he's entering Donna into his past's life, is there an underlying motive?"

"This is where I level off. He's your friend and you've told me countless of times that only you know him."

The Doctor cringed at his own words. To be completely honest, he didn't know what to think anymore. His and Jack's theories led them both to a place where neither of them knew where to proceed from.

"When we find Donna, we'll figure this out," the Doctor stated.

"You said that the last time and look where that led us. I think we've all got to figure this out now. And once we do, we'll see what Donna wants to do."

"Right...well let's get everyone."

"Doctor. There's still one thing that bothers me about this whole situation. Something that if we are going down the theories we have so far, still isn't making any sense. I mean I don't quite believe it that he would only do this in order to change his life for the better. Doesn't sound like him. Why would the Master interfere with Donna's time line? Why Donna?"

What a good question. What a strange question. A question that the Doctor had absolutely no reply to. Things he wanted to say, stayed glued to the roof of his mouth. Things he didn't want to say, were obviously the wrong answers. So he only shook his head and pondered the same question.

_Why Donna indeed._

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Alright...so why would somebody want to cause a time interference in my time line?" Donna asked, trying not to let the overwhelming amount of information she had just learned, overtake her.

Harry sat beside her in the Ood circle, his face stoic but thoughts just as rampant as the redhead's.

"That is unclear," one of the Ood beside the elder said.

"And how did they manage to give me back my memories?"

This time, Harry answered first,"There are certain ways to fuse a persons memories together. Especially if the person fusing the memories, understands all the essences needed. The Doctor knows you extremely well so that's why I imagine he did it. Besides the fact that you have to have an unheard amount of power to cause a time interference."

"Wait? What? The Doctor? How could he have done it?"

The Ood remained silent so the Time Lord went on.

"Only a Time Lord can cause a time interference. It's what stops other races from changing histories."

"And-and...the extra abilities I got?" Donna questioned, her mouth dry.

"Side effects," Harry reasoned.

"But...why wouldn't the Doctor tell me that he interfered with my time line? Certainly would have saved all this business with you kidnapping me."

"Because it wasn't the present him. A future version, I imagine."

"So a future version of the Doctor, interfered with my time line by fusing my memories and giving them back to me? I don't remember seeing him...much less getting hit by a sudden wave of memories...unless," Donna thought, turning her head toward the blond next to her, "Oh my god. It was at the bloody pub!"

"Having your memories returned, wouldn't be a sudden process. If they were all to hit you at once, you would die. They had to have been given to you in rationed portions," he mentioned.

"The drinks. It's still a bit fuzzy now...but even after awhile, people start to remember some parts of their hangover. But mines completely blank. It was through drinks...I remember somebody kept ordering them for me."

"And you took them?" Harry incredulously asked.

"Free drinks? Who wouldn't? Well, I suppose since it's gotten me into this mess, I might reconsider. But wow. The Doctor buying me drinks at a pub. A future version of the Doctor. Must mean that eventually it gets to him, the whole taking away my memories business. Must mean that he wanted me to find the present him and keep traveling along," Donna theorized happily.

A strange pang hit near Harry's hearts, but he ignored it. There wasn't a single thought he allowed to pursue as to the reason behind the pang.

"I'm just wondering though. Since your kind have told me about the time interference and we've figured out the who, how, when, where, and why," Donna spoke to the Ood, "Am I in any danger? When you last mentioned the DoctorDonna, although a meta-crisis was created, it happened in what was nearly the end of the world. And not just ours. Is someone after me? After the Doctor? Are my memories permanent?"

The Ood elder closed his eyes and bowed his head once before rising it to meet Donna's eyes.

"You are not in any danger, Donna Noble," an Ood said and Donna sighed out a breath of relief.

"Not on our planet. But we cannot speak for the rules of yours," another Ood went on to say.

Glancing quizzically at Harry, Donna asked, "What does that mean?"

"You will not come to any danger on the Ood Sphere. We cannot speak for the rules of your planet however. We've observed many things among the human race and while we respect them, their emotions at times, impede judgment and rules."

"I see," Donna noted. And she did. Emotions were unpredictable and seldom could be accurately foreseen in her race. She just had to think back to the ride the Doctor took when they visited Midnight.

"If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask Ood Rho. He will be your guide for the remainder of the stay."

"Which brings me to my second point actually. How can we get back to Earth?" Donna asked.

"The Doctor is coming," the Ood elder responded and that must have been the last he wanted to speak for as soon as his words left, all the Ood that were in the circle, stood.

"Wonderful," Donna and Harry both exclaimed, for entirely different reasons.

With that, the pair stood up and were ushered by Ood Rho, out of the room. But Donna thanked them one last time for their hospitality.

"That was...wow," Donna laughed.

"I'm not going with the Doctor," Harry sternly relayed.

"I wouldn't expect you to. Let's see if we can find you another teleporter," Donna responded.

"You're being entirely too nice to me. If you were anything but the Doctor's companion, I might be concerned," he acknowledged.

Donna stopped in her tracks for a second to take a look at Harry.

"What?" he asked.

"You would never...I mean...you said that Time Lords were the only ones who could interfere with time. If the Doctor was the time interference, how did he get to our time and back? Did he just use the Tardis?" Donna retorted.

"Probably. If not the Tardis, then he used time itself."

"How's that?"

"Maybe because he's a TIME LORD...do you even listen to some of the stuff you say sometimes?"

"Of course. But that doesn't sound like the Doctor. He told me that certain things were fixed and others were a flux. He'd had to have disregarded all rules of time in order to create a time interference. Especially for such...selfish reasons. I mean I'm ecstatic that I have my memories back, but he was in love with Rose. If I were him, I'd have gone back before she got sucked into an alternate universe and interfered with that. And he loves you also. Surely he would have gone back to help you somehow."

"Really? You'd be willing to spend the rest of your life as a brainless, mindless human without a single thought of everything you've done in different planets or universes? Just to let the Doctor be happy?"

"Yeah...I think I would."

"Disgusting."

"Which is what separates the two of you."

Their pace settled back behind Ood Rho, but Harry kept taking side glances at the redhead. This mystery that was slowly unfolding around her, truly puzzled him. It'd been awhile since he'd been puzzled. But he couldn't deny the excitement of figuring it out. Even if figuring it out, momentarily set his plans for revenge back.

Still, Donna did say something that made sense, because it didn't make sense. He knew the Doctor and the Doctor was adamant about the rules of time. It's what kept preventing him from going back to change the outcome of the Time War. And a time interference seemed so unlike him.

_In fact...it seems like something I would do._

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><p><strong>So Jack and the Doctor believe it's the Master who gave Donna back her memories and Harry and Donna believe it's the Doctor. Lol. Oh what have I created? And why did Donna get them back in the first place? Why am I asking you all these bloody questions? Anywho, let me know what you're thinking in a review ;). I also probably won't be uploading again until Tuesday, if I'm lucky. <strong>


	19. Chasing Donna

**So I realized that the last chapter was probably bloody confusing. And I'm not going to lie, I might have overdone it with the information, but I just don't want any loopholes at the end. Plus, it was about time that you guys knew what was going on. This next chapter, I'm happy to report, is not as strenuous on your noggin. Long chapter. I hope you enjoy it because I had fun writing it.**

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><p><strong>Chasing Donna<strong>

Bypassing the palace again, Donna reminded herself to ask Ood Rho about how old it was. Not only would it seem like something the Doctor would like to know, but Donna was curious about it herself. Right now however, too much preoccupied her mind. Time interferences. Time Lords. Pubs. Blokes. Family. It honestly was a lot to take in. But as in cases before, she took it all in stride. Eventually, things would come into place as they always have. Might have to work a bit on figuring it out on her own, but she believed in herself. Something that hadn't always been there, before the Doctor.

"It is with great regret I must inform you that your rooms are connected. Normal procedures would have allowed us to separate you but as you must have seen already, we have an abundance of humans here," Ood Rho informed, standing in front of two doors: one ebony, one white.

Briefly ignoring the apology, Donna said, "We did see exploration ships signifying the human race on board some of the platforms. What are they here for?"

"They are headed by an organization that recruits humans from different time periods. The task is simple: exploration and adventure. Normally, the humans that sign up have never been outside their own universe. Much less their own time. The ships explore space and the humans inside are allowed to venture on each planet they stop on. Only recently has our planet opened up to their list of options," Ood Rho informed.

"Like a vacation through time and space, but safer?" Donna asked.

Ood Rho nodded his head.

"And how many humans are in each ship?"

"Eleven in each."

"They're nice to you, right?" she demanded.

"Of course. Very eager minds, open to different cultures and races," Ood Rho replied.

"Doesn't sound like the humans I know," Harry inserted behind her.

"Probably because the only humans you knew, ended up in your stomach," Donna commented.

"The day I get a craving for redheads, I only hope you're very far across the galaxy," he expressed.

Ignoring the biting remark on the tip of her tongue, Donna instead focused back to the matter at hand.

"So the expedition team took up all of the rooms?"

"Yes. If it is truly a commodity, I may attempt to-."

"No. I mean, no thank you. Shouldn't have to kick people out just cause I can't bear sleeping with this bloke," Donna explained, tilting her head at Harry, "in the room next door. It's fine, thank you."

"Then whenever you are ready, there is dinner that will be served two hours time. A traditional food of ours will be served, if you would be adventurous enough to take the risk," Ood Rho said.

Donna smiled, realizing that it was as close to humor as he'd come.

"I'll definitely be there," Donna promised and waved goodbye as Ood Rho drifted back toward the palace.

"This race doesn't like me," Harry pointed out after a moment of silence.

"And you're surprised?" Donna indignantly questioned.

Her laugh only grew when his frown deepened as his lips pursed in disappointment.

"You are so funny."

"It's a gift, really."

Holding Harry's gaze, Donna felt her insides start to quench. That was starting to happen a lot. To be honest, it'd happen whenever she was around the Time Lord and things between them would escalate into something more than met the eye.

So, she tore her eyes away from his and stared at the white door ahead of her.

Before she turned the knob, Donna declared out of the corner of her mouth, "Under any circumstances, you are not allowed to enter my half of the room. I don't care if your liver's bleeding, or steam is blowing out your ears or your head suddenly starts spinning around. Stay. Out. Of. My. Room."

The Time Lord didn't have a chance to reply as she once again, got in the last words.

"See you at dinner."

Then the door was slammed shut and he was left standing alone in the hallway.

_Does she really think I'm going to participate in such silly rituals? Especially around a bunch of humans? Eating dinner with the Doctor's companion. Ridiculous._

But there was no denying the clawing hunger that built itself up in his stomach. Plus, it might give him more time to find a way to Earth.

_Why back to Earth though? I can travel anywhere I want to, finally get rid of the Doctor._

Thinking of Donna, Harry's triumphant grin faded. He still had a revenge to carry out. And before the Doctor came, or else he'd never get his hands on her again.

Donna's door suddenly swung open, making Harry flinch slightly at the rapidness of it.

"You're not going to bloody believe this! They've got a telly! A real, honest to Earth telly. Wonder if it picks up channels across this galaxy. Amazing, innit?" Donna excitedly shouted.

Again, she didn't wait for a response as she sprinted back into her room, the door shutting loudly.

Harry tried desperately to fight it, but the smile on his face appeared. It lacked the usual malice or spite, and instead, beamed with a genuine amusement.

_Get yourself together! Just a human who gets stupidly excited over a television...not funny at all. Not even a teensy, weensy bit funny. Nope! By tonight, she'll be nothing but a useless pile of filth...with her red hair that makes her body seem to ignite-no! No more thoughts of what her lips will taste like again if I just-no!_

Frustratingly, Harry opened the ebony door. Ignoring the décor of his room, he headed straight to the bathroom, shedding his clothes along the way.

Once inside, he scanned the shower that sprouted multiple shower heads with the inside ranging an impressive ten feet in diameter. Harry noticed soaps and shampoos displayed inside the shower corners. Guessing the shower to have been hand carved, the Time Lord also came to the conclusion that these weren't just regular soaps and shampoos. In fact, as he entered the shower and pressed one of the shampoo bottles up to his nostrils, the indistinguishable scent of crystallized maple greeted him. A typical male scent. Doing the same to the soap, a Undarian mango was the noted component. Another typical male scent. A mix of the two often produced aphrodisiacs in perfume across universes.

Closing the glass door behind him, Harry allowed his arms to spread out as the water simultaneously poured down on him. The hot, beaded drips poured into his unwashed, blond hair and ripped away the dirt from underneath his nails and the dried blood around his nose. His thoughts left him as the tension in his muscles were massaged away by the heat rising around him. Each murderous particle on his body was rinsed down to a simple cell that could start anew if it wished, but forced to follow the decisions of its' Master.

After a straight fifteen minutes of the ethereal cleansing, Harry grabbed the soap and shivered at the scent that pounded against his nostrils. Undarian mango happened to be a very old and very personal favorite scent of Harry's. Not that he went around, sniffing scents in his free time. But the scent still managed to submit every cell in his body into inhaling the pleasurable essence. The only scent that held a greater appeal to the Time Lord than Undarian Mango, was the scent of Havic Raspberry.

Harry remembered smelling it once on the planet Havicollias on a woman who was trying to seduce him, and it was literally able to take his breath away. After he killed the woman, he attempted stealing some from the Haviocals. Apparently it was a very valuable resource because they had banned him as a result. All Harry had wanted to do was have something nice to smell as he was ruling different planets. In retaliation, he killed their king's son. To this day, you could say that Harry wasn't exactly on their good side.

He wondered exactly how the Ood were so advanced in everything they did. Buildings of massive proportions, seemingly carved to perfection out of crystal and ground. Carved chairs, tables, appliances, showers. Incredibly intricate work and very developed. Even the mixing of scents that he hadn't smelled in lifetimes, conveniently located in the shower, was something to marvel at.

_The race was born to serve. I suppose with their freedom, they have the time to make their planet attractive. For humans._

Donna meanwhile, was too blown away by the entrails of her room to even consider taking a shower. For one, the bed she had was enormous. Not just king sized or queen sized, but bloody queen-king sized. Ruby red sheets layed delicately on the snow white mattress and an auric blanket covered it neatly. Around on the walls were several paintings. Some Donna could recognize as being from Earth: Van Gogh, Monet, and Klimt. Others were obviously of the Ood origin as displayed by galactic drawings of the Horsehead nebula and the Ood Sphere itself. All neatly placed on the sparkling, white walls.

_They really want to make humans feel at home._

And it was true, Donna realized. A human bed. Human painted paintings. Books on an auburn wood bookcase, had famous works by humans. They even had a telly for bleedin sakes! She still didn't know why she had run out to tell Harry that. Probably just shock. But the sheer need of the Ood to make humans feel as if they were home, was something so commemorative that Donna's respect for the race grew even more so.

Twenty minutes later when she had emerged from the shower, smelling of some strange shampoo and soap that seemed vaguely recognizable, Donna stopped in front of two walnut doors.

Opening them, she gasped at the wardrobe displayed in front of her. Most of them were dresses. Not that she wasn't a fan of dresses, but the type of dresses they were made her think that the Ood might have observed the wrong period of time on Earth. Most certainly the wrong city. Maybe they were appropriate in France when masquerades were still popular and it wasn't a scandal to dress like a makeup concubine, Donna could see herself in them. But not in 42nd century, Ood Sphere where she not only would have to face the rest of her race at dinner, but Harry. Some of the dresses had the audacity to even make her blush.

_Cuts aren't supposed to go here. Now I know that a neckline doesn't plunge all the way to there. Christ, they'll be able to see my knickers in this!_

Spending perhaps ten minutes on flipping through her choices, Donna finally rested on an emerald green number that preserved at least some modesty. It stopped just short of her knees but had swirls of light silver trickling down the sides. Two green straps and a well smoothed neckline covered what the other dresses definitely couldn't.

Finding a drawer full of undergarments and other necessities, Donna excitedly put on her dress and set to work on drying her hair. Smelling a strand of it, she tried to place a name for it but failed. It seemed so familiar yet so exotic. Definitely very appealing.

In another forty minutes, Donna was all set to go. She paused outside the door in her room that led to Harry's. After yelling at him not to go into her room, Donna wasn't exactly eager to barge into his.

Knocking once cautiously, she brushed her hair back nervously.

_Nervous? Why should I be nervous? He's the one that should be nervous since the Doctor is com-._

Her thoughts nearly imploded as the door opened and Harry stood there in black pants and a white collared shirt. His skin glowed a healthy pale and his hair was scraped forward. Like he'd actually put time into it. But the look on his face...now that was marvelous.

"You look," Donna started, feeling a giggle bubble in her throat, "You look-I-you-um...yeah."

"What?" he questioned, slight hurt in his voice.

"Wonderful. You look wonderful," Donna exclaimed, "Considering you'd rather go nude than wear something decent."

Harry smiled in approval and then took the time to absorb the redhead in front of him.

"Rather provocative for just a dinner," Harry commented.

"I know. But it's a different planet, different rules, different Donna. I don't know how long I've got here and I guess I just want to make the best of it. If that means wearing clothes entirely too sexy for me, so be it," she answered.

"I think you might be too sexy for the clothes," he expressed.

Donna didn't know if he was joking or not, but smiled despite herself.

"C'mon blondie. Let's see what's for dinner," Donna announced, and then slammed the door in Harry's face.

"What the hell was that for?" came the muffled reply.

"Well you're not going through my bloody room! I told you, I'm not letting you in," she explained, locking the door.

Whatever he mumbled back, Donna remained oblivious to as she opened the main door of her room and stepped out into the hallway.

Two minutes of dramatic lingering later, and Harry stepped out of his room with a dark grimace on his face.

"Could have broken my nose," he vented.

"Oh toughen up. You're starting to sound like the Doctor," Donna quipped back with a smile.

"Are you sure you haven't accidentally beaten the Doctor into a new regeneration, sometime in your life?"

"I dunno. Could I actually do that?"

"You have no complaints here."

Two seconds later.

"Ow! Not on me."

"Well you never specified. Honestly, this is the man that took over the world. Worst linguistic skills I've ever heard of."

The Time Lord rolled his eyes before grabbing her hand and striding down the hallway.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

No one payed too much attention to the ringing of the doorbell in the Noble household since everybody's minds were fried. The information they'd just learned, was overwhelming to say the least.

When said doorbell rang again, more insistingly, Sylvia ventured a look toward the door but did nothing about answering it. Her legs were like two jelly Twizzlers. Any movement and they'd be bent out of shape, sending her plunging to the ground.

However, it was the third ring that finally stirred the people inside the room.

"Who could that be?" Sylvia asked Wilf.

Standing up, she headed over to the door and peered through the glass. Her hand shot up to her mouth at the person standing there.

"Shaun!" cried Sylvia, opening the door.

Before her stood Shaun Temple. His hair was messy, clothes were askew and deep pants were running past his dry lips.

"Sylvia! Where's Donna? Is she here?" Shaun questioned.

"What do you need Donna for?" the Doctor asked behind Sylvia.

"Is she here?"

"No," Sylvia answered.

The worry on Shaun's face grew as he tried to allow his breaths to catch up to him.

"Come in."

Shaun took a few shaky steps inside, allowing himself to be led to the kitchen where Sylvia sprinted to make another cup of tea.

"What happened?" she managed to ask him in a rush.

"I-I don't really know," he declared in disbelief.

"Start with Sunday, when you last saw Donna," the Doctor suggested.

"We'd just gotten into another argument about money when she stormed out on me. Went to the pub, I later found out. Didn't return to the flat, which was understandable. I went to work Monday morning, came back around five and she still wasn't back. That's when I tried phoning here, but my phone wires were all disconnected. Like someone had purposely cut them," Shaun breathed out.

"And then what happened?"

"I didn't panic. I figured she was still mad about last night so I called someone to repair my phone and gave it another day. I came home about four hours ago and Donna still wasn't there. So I was bent on coming over here no matter what, but I was only inside for maybe twenty minutes before I went out and noticed that someone had slashed my tires," he explained, breaths starting to increase again.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely positive. I grew up around that kind of stuff, and I know what it looks like. That's when I met this woman standing outside of my flat. She was just standing there, staring at me and my car. Didn't say what her name was, didn't say what she wanted. I asked her if she saw who'd slashed my tires. She said no, but that I was-," Shaun panted, "out of Donna's league. That I shouldn't ever see her again, or speak to her. That she wasn't mine anymore."

Jack, who'd been listening with interest in the background, lifted his eyebrows in surprise.

Catching the Doctor's glance, he asked, "What did the woman look like?"

"I-g-I dunno. I mean just what she'd said, shook me up more than anything. She had brown hair, I remember that. Small face and skinny body. But that's not all she said."

"Go on," the Doctor requested.

"She said that I wasn't ever going to see Donna again. That her destiny was with another man. Ran here as fast as I could after hearing that. Is that true, Sylvia? Is there another guy in the picture?" Shaun protested.

Flicking her eyes to the Doctor, Sylvia answered, "Of course not! Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, good," Shaun exhaled, "So where is she?"

Witnessing panic erupting in Sylvia's eyes, Jack answered.

"She's in Cardiff."

"What's she doing in Cardiff?"

At the Doctor's and Sylvia's questioning looks, Jack replied, "She's working for me. I just came here to inform her family and friends."

"Doing what?"

"Oh basic scheduling and file assortments. Then booking events for our company. Much better pay. She's my personal assistant."

He said this with a grin and Shaun hesitated before asking his next question.

"She's safe then? I mean...I can get past her not calling to tell me about a new job. I can get past her moving to Cardiff without my knowledge. I can even get past being one of the last people to know. But, I want to make sure. Is she alright? All the stuff that the lady said, it was just rubbish?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I've never heard of the lady you're talking about. But I guarantee you that Donna is safe right now. Just got off the train from when I last checked."

"So can I talk to her?"

"Probably not a good idea. You know how Donna is after long journeys."

"No."

"Then that's probably for the best. But you said that your phone is being repaired and I'll call you sometime later, with her number," Jack informed.

Sylvia understood his actions and before she could even give tea to Shaun, she began ushering him to the door.

"Alright. Well, thank you. Just...just make sure I get the number. And you're sure that she doesn't have another guy? Just that...the woman sounded incredibly serious when she'd said it," Shaun admitted.

The question was directed at Sylvia and she only plastered a false smile on her face and replied, "Of course not."

Once Shaun was out of the house, she turned around with alarm in her eyes.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"You shouldn't have told him that she wasn't with another guy, for starters," the Doctor explained.

"But Donna would never-. Doctor, you theorized it yourself. Plus, I would never allow her to become entangled with that man," Sylvia spat.

"Regardless. He's only going to believe Jack's story for a short period of time."

"Who do you think he was talking about?" Jack asked the Doctor.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the Doctor ran his hands through his hair.

"Just another piece to this mystery. I can handle science. I can handle aliens. I can even handle scientific aliens. But when it comes down to humans or emotions or human emotions, I can't quite handle that. It seems like...things are surrounding Donna once again," the Doctor described.

Then like a firecracker, he jumped up in the air, muttering "of course" over and over again.

"What is it?" Jack questioned.

"Why didn't I think of it? Things happened like this before. And you know who informed us? C'mon, give me three guesses! And good guesses...not those ones where you just guess cause you're trying to be a good sport."

"I have no idea, Doctor," admitted Jack.

"Now that's not a good answer," he disappointingly muttered.

"Face of Boe?" Martha asked, walking into the kitchen after she'd heard the Doctor's excited screech.

"No, but good try. Noble try. Good, noble try."

"Just tell me what's going on!" Sylvia yelled.

Cringing, the Doctor felt his eardrums vibrate heatedly.

"I know where Donna is."

The occupants of the room all beamed in relieved mirth.

"But," Jack said, "what about this mystery woman who showed up at Shaun's flat? Do you really think that it'll be the last of her?"

"Don't know, to be honest. Best to keep our eyes peeled from now on. Seems like more people are involved in this than we previously thought. But more importantly, I'm going to go get Donna!" the Doctor revealed.

"I'm coming with you," Jack informed him.

"Alright, come on then."

"Me too," Martha acknowledged.

"Hurry it up."

"Make that three," Mickey cut in.

"This isn't a bloody carnival ride."

"What about me, Doctor?" Wilf spoke, watching everybody line up at the door.

"I need you and Sylvia to stay. Just in case Donna manages to get back here, but I think I'm right. By think, I mean know. By know, I mean I think I know. By I think I know, I mean I know I'm right. But in case I'm not or you get more information, call me," the Doctor explained, pointing his head at the newly fixed cell phone in Martha's hand.

And with that, the four ran out the front door and into the familiar doors of the Tardis.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

Harry and Donna were early on arrival to the feast room, as the Ood called it. But dinner was already layed out on a long, narrow table, and both travelers marveled at the incredibly massive display of human foods.

There was a grilled turkey, four layered cheesecake beside it that included strawberry and blackberry, cherry croissants, freshly baked potatoes, an assortment of vegetables in a large circled plate, assortment of fruit in a large bowl, warm crisped bread, salad, and all sorts of other foods that Donna imagined to be Ood in nature.

"Welcome Donna," Ood Rho announced as he entered the room.

"Hello. This looks fantastic! Did you prepare this?"

"Yes. It is important to service guests when they are here."

Shivering a bit at the recognition of obedience still left over from being enslaved by humans, Donna only smiled and tugged at Harry's hand to find a seat.

"Were Time Lords born without table manners, or was it just you?" Donna asked after watching Harry stuff a turkey leg into his mouth with both of his hands and then rip aggressively into it.

"Both," he replied in between bites.

Donna smiled and began picking out food on her plate. She initially promised herself to steer clear of the ones she didn't know, at least until she had a chance to get a good taste in her mouth. But the Ood food did look delicious.

Beside her, Harry had already devoured three potatoes, six slices of bread, two croissants, and was just beginning to work on the cheesecake when other humans from the expedition, began infiltrating the room.

In general, they seemed surprised at their two unknown guests but Donna easily fell into a chat with some of the people who weren't scared away by Harry's rapid eating.

"They picked me and the wife up from the planet Zygros. We were actually there for our honeymoon, but the planet's politicians failed to inform us that it was going bankrupt. You'd think in the 67th century, politicians still wouldn't lie out of their arses. Anyway, our money was worth next to nothing and that's when we saw the advertisement for the expedition. It's been more than anything we could imagine," the man who revealed his name to be Jared, said, squeezing his wife affectionately.

Because Harry was at her left, Donna's next conversation didn't spark up until the couple left.

A middle aged woman whose name turned out to be Steffie, sat down next to her, and Donna asked about her story.

"Just got the guts to leave my husband. It would've been 15 years, come this Thursday. Bastard that he was, didn't do anything to protect his money account. Took all of it, and you know on 95th century Vollina, the women have more say than the men. Pleasant surprise for me too, when I moved there. So I packed my bags, headed to the boarding site of the expedition and left. My sister had told me about it. One of the greatest decisions I've ever made," she announced, looking distastefully at the silver wedding ring on her finger.

Beside her, a guy in his early twenties who introducted himself as Jason, was more than happy to converse when Donna had asked more about the expedition.

"It's one of the greatest things you could ever imagine. They have only four organizations universe wide, but they don't disappoint. Normally, the waiting list would be enormous but they service the average customer. Meaning that the rich stay on their rich ships and the middle class get amazing opportunities like this. Both of the ships parked here, travel together. I've got a brother on the other one, but he's fast asleep in his room. We just got back from the planet Midnight. Ever heard of it?" the guy announced.

"Yeah."

"Fantastic planet. Great for sunbathing."

"Tell me about it," Donna laughed.

"We stay at each planet for four days and usually we scurry a total of twenty planets. Twenty one if our driver is feeling generous. This is our last night here. Do you know what the next one is?" the guy asked Steffie excitedly.

"I think they said on the brochure that it's Zaria."

"The one where it's nearly all water?" implored Donna.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Friend of mine promised to take me there," she replied with a smile.

Slowly but surely, Donna chose to find out about each person and was not only shocked at the respect they had for the alien races at each planet, but impressed with their knowledge of the universe.

A man in his mid thirties named Clark, from the planet Isubinnia in the 39th century, informed her that he had worked out when the next big bang was set to occur.

At this, Harry laughed mockingly beside her.

The man raised a quizzical brow and requested, "What's so funny?"

"That's impossible. No one knows that. There's not even physics in existence that accurately maps out the explanation of the first big bang."

To her surprise, the man only threw a grin on his face.

"Not everyone can handle such radical thoughts. The answer, by the way," the man whispered, leaning into her ear, "is very, very, far into the future."

Donna laughed at his antics, but she noticed Harry silently fume beside her. Obviously, he wasn't taking the human interactions as well as she was.

"Do you want to go try to find a teleporter?" Donna expressed, noting how attractive his neck looked with the first two buttons undone on his collar.

"If you let me loose on my own, I might kill one of these wretched pigs," he voiced back.

"Alright. Well, I suppose I'll see you later then."

"You're staying?" he asked, turning his eyes toward her.

"Yeah. Revenge can wait, sunshine."

"Perhaps," Harry agreed, wiping away sweat that had gathered at the nape of his neck.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit...pale. Paler than normal."

"I'm fine. Keep flirting with the primates. I'll be going to sleep," he informed.

He rose but before he could leave, Donna grabbed his hand.

"Sure you're alright?"

The unabashed concern in her blue eyes, almost made Harry want to sit back down and revel in her attention. Or at least bark at the man beside her to piss off.

However, he ignored her concern and left as a new pool of sweat began to form underneath his bangs.

Eventually, people came and went. Donna particularly liked the ones that stayed and let her know of their lives. The adventure in them and differences were astounding. But in many ways, some traits seemed completely Earth inherited. Even thousands of years later.

The Ood had been carrying in more food every hour and were complimented repetitiously on their traditional dishes. One of the dishes included a kabob that had something resembling a pepper, but didn't have the conventional color of one. In fact, it was a violet purple.

All of the Ood's dishes held no meat. They surprisingly could survive off of a very minimalistic amount of food, and none of them needed meat. Plus, there were no animals on the sphere, only Ood. They weren't normally a race to hunt other animals and eat them.

Still, the purple pepper stared at Donna with a cocky grin on it's wrinkled features. She knew she'd been neglecting a taste of an Ood dish, but despite the positive comments, Donna was still a bit nervous. It was odd that she was. Facing ravage aliens and insane Daleks seemed like a cakewalk but when it came down to trying a food from a different planet, her heartbeat became unnaturally fast.

Once the last of the expedition had littered out, Donna picked up the pepper and smelled it. To her surprise, it smelled like a blend of vegetation and syrup.

Peering up, Donna noticed the emptiness of the room and wished the Doctor was there. He'd make some jab at her for taking the pepper too seriously. She'd yell back that it's not like eating purple peppers were a normal occurrence for her. To that, he would only shake his head and smile challengingly.

"Ah, what the hell," Donna spoke to herself, and bit off half of the pepper.

Her taste buds soared in euphoria as the sweet vegetable was tasted.

"Bloody amazing, this is."

Taking another bite of the pepper, Donna closed her eyes at the exotic sweetness. Upon opening them, she noticed a girl that just walked into the room. Her kind eyes rested on Donna and she smiled invitingly.

"Don't mind if I have a late dinner, do you?"

"Not at all," Donna replied.

The girl walked to a chair and sat down.

"My name's Maddy."

"Nice to meet you Maddy, I'm Do-."

"Is that a plum pepper you've got there?" Maddy interrupted.

"Yeah. Ever tried one?"

"No. But I've heard great stuff about them. Not only do they taste delicious, but they give you great energy and protein."

"Well, help yourself because they're delicious."

Maddy smiled and reached over to grab two. She next took two plates and placed one pepper on each. Scouring the table, the girl took two of everything that appealed to her and placed one on each plate.

"You've got two stomachs or something?" Donna questioned jokingly.

Maddy grinned at the comment.

"Nah. The second plate's for my grandpa. He's taking his vitamins right now, but he'll be here shortly."

"That's who you're traveling with then? You're grandpa?"

"Yeah. He's nearing that age when health scares are a common thing. Too common, I thought. Thankfully, I found the advertisement for this expedition and I just wanted to take him on one last journey before he...passes," she coughed out embarrassingly.

Donna nodded her head in sympathy. Maddy reminded her of herself. What she should be doing with her gramps. All the things she'd seen and all the things Donna wanted her gramps to experience. Among the stars.

It was at this point that the first thought of the Doctor taking her gramps as his companion, entered her mind.

_Sure I'd love to go, but he's been wanting to see it all since a kid. And I've had my travels...maybe prematurely cut, but they still stand strong in my mind. If gramps had the opportunity to see what I've seen...god, that would be the greatest gift I could give him._

She found herself smiling at the thought, but realized it had escalated into something more. It was now a mission. Never mind those two years of her life that could have been spent in celestial adventure. Her gramps needed it. Perhaps a little bit more than she did.

"That dress looks stunning on you," Maddy pointed out.

"This old thing? Nah...do you think?" Donna laughed.

It wasn't the only compliment she'd received on the dress and a part of her was wondering if she could smuggle it home with her.

"Yeah. Wish I had a figure like yours. But 16 year olds aren't supposed to have figures," she noted sadly.

"Don't worry about it. Just be proud of what you were born like. Eventually, the rest will fall in," Donna explained with a smile.

"Thanks...it isn't really a topic I can get into with my grandpa."

"Yeah...that doesn't work. Tried that one time with mine. He avoided me for a week. A bloody week! Can you believe it?"

Maddy laughed, biting into her pepper.

"You would be very popular where I grew up," she informed.

Donna quirked her brows inquisitively.

"Yeah? How so?"

"Well for starters, our planet loves charmers. It's called Nuevo Las Vegas. Seems like all you can get is entertainers and I'm sure you would fit in perfectly. Strange thing to say, but you would have been perfect for my grampa. You're the type that he likes."

"Well what's the age difference?"

"He's 85."

"Hmm...51 year difference? I'm sure there's been worse."

"Oh just you wait. He was real handsome back in his 20's."

"You've seen pictures of him then in his 20's?"

"No. I meant in the 5020's."

"What's the year on your planet now?"

"5073. Tenth anniversary of my grandma's passing. Took it's tole on grandpa."

"I'm so sorry. How'd he handle it?"

"Well...he had his traveling keeping him busy, despite his disability. But he stopped when grandma died."

"Must have really loved her."

"No...it was a bit of an arranged marriage. His stuttering had gotten so bad that he'd placed himself in a sort of auctioned marriage. Grandma had a disability also, but hers made her a bit mean. Wasn't her fault though. Bit of an odd pair, and the marriage was strictly monogamous, despite my mum's birth. But I suppose he stopped traveling because he stopped believing that he'd find what he was searching for."

A strange feeling washed over Donna, but she couldn't place what it was.

"And what was he searching for?"

"Oh you'll love this. Back in his 30's, he met a woman, fell in love with her, married her and had children with her. Turns out though...none of it was real. Was a reality in a computer girl's mind that didn't exist and once he got back to the real one after promising to find her and her promising to find him...well, the woman he was in love with, left before he could get her name out. Disappeared just like that. Named my mum Ella, after the little girl he had in the computer reality. But, that's when he started traveling, my mum says. Traveling the stars and planets to find her. Traveled until his heart couldn't do it anymore," Maddy said.

Donna's hand on her knee, shook. Her head was pounding rapidly and her breaths were shallow and slow.

_No. Please, no. _

"Maddy," Donna began hesitantly, "What is your grandpa's name?"

Standing up suddenly, Maddy whipped her head behind and noticed a figure standing there.

"You can ask him yourself," Maddy beamed as she ran over to her grandpa.

The man was hobbled over a cane, and his hand was shaking as Maddy helped him walk to his seat.

"I've got a friend I want you to meet grandpa," Maddy softly whispered, pulling out a chair for the aged man.

"I should get go-," Donna tried to say, but choked on her words as the man's head rose and his brown eyes met her blue ones.

"I want you to meet my gramps, Bentley McAvoy. But you can call him by his nickname, Lee."

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><p><strong>Dum-dum-dum. Just wanted to show that I can still surprise you and that this plot isn't just centered around explanations that make no bloody sense. And fyi, I did look it up and Lee did have a stuttering problem in real life, but not in the computer reality from the episode "Forest of the Dead". So let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	20. Wisdom, Poison, and Scent

**Thank you for the reviews. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Wisdom, Poison, and Scent<strong>

There are those certain moments in everybody's lives where one event or one choice defines them. Defines who they are, who they were, and who they will always be. Donna had thought for the longest time that it was her decision to turn left instead of right, brought her to the person she was. It only made sense.

Staring into the brown eyes of the man she once loved, a certain feeling of complete immobilization took over her. Her eyes were stuck in an awed silence, her lips were a straight line of sorrow, and her voice had a pound of bricks resting on it. But this immobilization didn't just stretch to her physical features.

All thoughts, all memories, all ideas ceased. Everything just stopped. The only emotion that was able to get through wasn't really an emotion at all. Just an intense swelling of her heart. Like somebody had been pumping it with water and it was ready to burst.

Lee's hand that had been clutching his cane, started to shake as his eyes took in the recognition of the woman before him. His mouth opened but his tongue couldn't get past his lips.

"Are you alright grandpa? Is there anything I can get you?" Maddy asked in concern, watching his features become incredibly animated.

"D-D-Donna," he finally managed to stutter out and then took a deep breath afterward.

Maddy's eyes flickered back to Donna whose voice just started to come back to her.

"Lee," she replied brokenly.

"Oh my god. You're Donna Noble?" Maddy questioned with her hands over her mouth.

The redhead nodded slowly, her eyes still stuck to Lee's brown ones.

"Geez! What are the chances?"

Shaking her head, Donna spoke to Lee, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry."

Taking this cue to leave, Maddy silently slipped away after making sure her grandpa was comfortable.

There was an aged smile that greeted his features. One that he used to give her all those days that he'd come from work. On those days back when he was first courting her. On those days when they both thought it was real.

"D-d-doesn'-t-t-t mat-t-t-ter." he managed to say.

Donna stood up and ran around the table. More cautiously, she walked to his side and sat down in the seat that Maddy used to occupy.

"I had no idea where to even begin. The man I was traveling with, he...I didn't have...I'm so sorry, Lee," Donna sobbed, ignoring the tears that began spilling down her cheeks.

Lee smiled again, trying to make her understand that it wasn't her fault but Donna only closed her eyes as the tears built up again. Taking a deep breath, she fought them back and opened her eyes.

If it weren't for introductions, Donna would probably have never recognized him. His once luscious brown hair, was now light caramel wisps across his wrinkled head. Crinkles so deep around his eyes, made it difficult to pick out the warm hazel brown inside. His body was almost entirely thin, and his skin had specks of brown covering it.

Placing her hands in the one he had outstretched, Donna only wished that the pain would go away. The utter unfairness of waiting so long to see him, only for it to be toward the end of his life was a pain that stung deeper than a normal lost love.

And there was guilt. Time went on for him. What did she do while he was searching for her? Remained ignorant. Certainly didn't spend her life, searching for him.

It was at this time that the same gold light that left her hand when the Time Lord had been having a nightmare, left hers once more. Traveling into Lee, Donna gasped at it's sudden appearance and then watched the reaction of the man ahead of her.

He curiously lifted his hand after the gold disappeared, but his face remained impassive.

"What was that?" he breathed out.

Then, he paused again, his eyes lighting up.

"What? What is it?" Donna questioned.

"I normally have trouble pronouncing my t's. Tea. Table. Travels," he tested, working his tongue over the words carefully, "I can pronounce them. I'm not...I'm not stuttering."

Glancing down at her hand that rested on his other one, Donna couldn't hide her shock. First, it cured the Time Lord's drums. Now it cured his stuttering. Was it an ability to heal? And if it was, how come he still seemed weary and sick?

"That's fantastic," she proclaimed.

"I feel just like I did, back in the library. Back with you. I'm sorry...I just, I can't believe I can finally speak. What did you do?"

"It's a bit of a long story."

"I want to hear it. And about you, how you've been," Lee explained, taking her trembling hand into his two warm ones.

Nervously, Donna pulled a strand of her hair back. It was a heavy burden of information to tell but she owed this man years of her life.

So, she began in the very beginning. All the way back when she met the Doctor, and then declining his invitation to travel with him. She talked about his reappearance, her travels and his eventual memory loss by the Doctor himself. The drab of the two years and then Harry taking over the Earth. At that point, she actually called him the Master. There was a slight embarrassment she felt at others calling him by his human name. Almost as if they called him Harry to his face, he'd actually kill them.

When she talked about the memories regained and the idea that sprouted in her mind, Donna decided to be straight and honest about them. If she never admitted those sort of thoughts, then she wouldn't know herself nearly as well.

Lee stayed politely quiet during this time, and there was no judgment passed among his features. By the time that she got to the ending, relaying their trip to the Ood Sphere, the information learned and the dinner here, Donna felt like a whole bunch of pressure was just released off her chest.

"I just don't understand why now though. We could have met...I mean all those other travels you made. Why couldn't we have met here, then? Why did this expedition travel to 5073 on the planet Nuevo Las Vegas?" Donna wondered.

"Sometimes, it's just the way that the universe works. Soulmates may just spend a fraction of their time together and then never see each other again. I suppose I'm just thankful that I do get to see you again. Even if it's on the last night here and towards the last years of my life."

"Don't talk like that. If I can take away your stuttering, I'm sure I can improve your health."

"But I don't think it works like that. For an individual to have the ability to control life and death. I don't think anybody is allowed to have that. I think it only heals what needs healing and the rest of destiny takes its course."

"Wow. You're wisdom really shows at your age."

"I'm glad because I've learned so much traveling. Even when I didn't end up finding you, there was still so much to see and so much to learn. I want you to know that I never stopped believing you were out there somewhere. Among the planets I'd never traveled or among the stars I'd never been to. I knew you were there."

"Tell me about them. I've spent so long talking about myself. I want to know how your life turned out. Were you happy?"

This time, Lee's features glimmered as he recalled going back home and beginning plans for traveling. Just in the first year alone, visiting 30 different planets. The number eventually accelerated, especially right before he had gotten married.

"Marriage was nothing like it was with you," he recollected sadly.

And on to the birth of his first child and naming her Ella. Then going back out to travel. Races he'd met, people he'd befriended, and all the way to the old age where he realized just how important knowledge and family was. It opened up the universe to him in ways that he couldn't ever imagine. Always hoping, always praying that he'd find Donna to share it all with.

"And I have, in a way."

"Yeah, I guess you did," she replied.

When what seemed like an hour had passed, Donna was only left to take in Lee before her.

"What are we going to do? I mean...you can come with me. Come to Earth. Or I can find a way back into your time line. Back when you were younger, just after I promised to find you."

Lee shook his head.

"Very brave gesture, but unnecessary. I used to think that my life was incomplete. Nothing could really fill that hole that had opened up after you left. But then family helped heal it. Friends from across the stars, helped support it. And on this last night on the Ood Sphere, you, Donna Noble, helped fill it. I think in a way, that it was always meant to happen like this...and I'm so glad it did because there is nothing that makes me happier knowing that you're living your life. Happy, proud, beautiful and the same Donna that I fell in love with."

Stray tears ran down Donna's red cheeks as she enclosed her fingers with his. Leaning down, she kissed his knuckles once before placing his palm on her cheek. Closing her eyes, Donna let herself remember what it'd felt like. To be with Lee. To be in love. To have children, and a husband. To have everything happening like it did in fairy tales.

"Do you think I'll ever have that again?" Donna asked, referring to what they once had.

Catching her eyes warmly, Lee's smile radiated all of Donna's tears away.

"Of course you will. And from what I've heard from you, it seems like you've already got it."

"How do you mean?"

"I'm going to stay silent on that subject. But I promise you that you'll understand one day."

"You would have gotten along great with the Doctor. He never did give me straight answers either."

"Well, I thank the Doctor for bringing you to that library. And I thank the universe that our paths were allowed to meet not once, but twice," Lee admitted. "I love you, Donna. I love you and I will until I take the final breaths of my life."

"I love you too, Lee," she whispered back, kissing his cheek.

Ten minutes later, as they were standing outside of Lee's room, Donna tried to pick at his mysterious comment once more.

"What have I already got? I mean, I appreciate your sentiments about finding someone after you. But to be honest, it's difficult to imagine somebody would love me as strongly and passionately as you did. And I'd love them back just as equally. In fact, I see myself spending the rest of my love life, alone."

"All I'm going to say," Lee cryptically answered, "is that sometimes the greatest seduction, is of the heart."

"Maybe it's a good thing we didn't meet earlier. I can just imagine asking you where the remote is and you say something strange like "the remote is in the wanderer's blazing finger tips.""

"Oh, that was good," he laughed.

And with one final long look, and certainly the last one of Lee's life since a heart attack on the planet Zaria would eventually take him on a final trip to the stars, the two conveyed everything with only one word. Love.

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Harry Saxon moaned in pain. Yes, he moaned in actual pain. Clutching helplessly at his abdominal, the Time Lord let out a deep breath as the temperature in his body kept on rising. Sweat pooled on his body rapidly as a fresh bout of nausea shook his system. The urge to vomit, was enormous but he held back. While he might not have liked the Ood, it didn't mean that he was going to show that to them by vomiting on their bed.

His earlier sweats had only elevated in the past hour as his body began fighting an aggressive bacteria he guessed. However, so many different symptoms and diseases came to mind that Harry had no idea which to diagnose himself with. All while he was debating on whether to pound on the other side of the door, awaking the redhead.

Problem was that he wasn't sure if Donna would help him. He certainly wouldn't help her if she was in pain...well, perhaps if she wasn't in a dire situation. Plus, if she did decide to help him, Harry was afraid that he'd somehow have to return the favor.

So another hour passed by as his symptoms grew worse and one of his hearts had began beating dangerously slow. There was much writhing in the bed on his part, knocking off the once beautiful sheets as his fingers dug into the mattress, painfully.

_Just let it out of my system. Don't ask for her help._

But that idea became harder and harder to maintain because as Harry tried getting up, he realized that his ability to walk was limited. His legs were impossible to move for more than just a few feet before his body weight gave out from underneath him. More sweat poured down his face and traveled down the spine of his back.

_Oh, what the hell._

Letting out a painful grunt, Harry gripped the mattress as he steadied his feet carefully on the ground. Purposefully steadying his exhales of oxygen, he ascertained that with one sprint only, he'd be able to reach the door. All energy afterward, might leave him.

Carefully, he closed his eyes and then took off on shaky feet, toward the connecting door.

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Donna had just changed into a shirt and pajamas for sleep, when she heard the pounding on the other side of the connected door.

"Like I said, I don't care if your liver's bleeding," she yelled, ignoring the knocks.

When the pounding only continued, wiping the last of the Time Lord's energy into it, Donna found herself remembering his complexion as he'd left. Overly pale, a bit shaky when she'd grabbed his hand. Of course if something was wrong, she'd be the last person he'd tell.

Still, Donna walked over to the door and pressed her ear to it. His knocks had diminished into small taps.

"Are you dying?"

The Time Lord felt like laughing but it hurt too much. In fact, his eye sight was starting to become blurry as his legs were on the verge of folding underneath him.

One last word managed to escape past his dry lips. A word that he didn't say very often in his life, if ever.

"Please."

Donna had the door open in half a second and nearly collapsed as the exhausted blond fell on her.

"Oi, you're sure you didn't finish that whole bloody turkey?" she asked, struggling to drag him across the room to her bed.

A guilty smile was the last thing to appear on Harry's face before he passed out.

"Oh no you don't," Donna threatened.

Pushing all of her effort into it, Donna managed to throw him onto the bed, just barely. His feet ended up hanging off lazily and his one arm was swinging uselessly over the side.

Pressing a hand to his forehead, she nearly retreated at the feverish heat protruding from him. All medical thoughts and ideas, were stunted. Donnahad no idea what to do. Whether it was a Time Lord condition or just the common flu. Medical knowledge was not her expertise. Still, she had to do something.

Then as if a bolt of lightning struck her, Donna got an idea.

Stilling herself over the blond man, she focused her hands above him and wished for the pain to go away. Just like she'd done before for his drums and for Lee's stuttering.

This time however, nothing came out. No gold light, no miraculous feeling of healing. She tried again, wishing for it harder. But again, nothing happened.

"No, no, no! Come on. Worked for the drums. Worked for Lee's stuttering. Why aren't you working now?"

Her hands of course, didn't reply but Donna thought back to what Lee had said at dinner.

"But I don't think it works like that. For an individual to have the ability to control life and death. I don't think anybody is allowed to have that. I think it only heals what needs healing and the rest of destiny takes its course."

So what did that mean? Was she just supposed to watch Harry die? Could that be his destiny?

_One at a time, Donna. Just take one step at a time._

Listening to her thoughts and even deeper, her heart, Donna sprang into action.

Firstly, she made sure his whole body was on her bed before steadily unbuttoning his white shirt. It's not what you think! Donna knew that the less clothing, the faster he could get cool.

Once she'd carefully pulled the shirt off him, Donna ran to the bathroom, grabbed a cloth, wet it with cool water, then ran back to Harry's form and lightly patted his forehead. She stuck two fingers to his pulse point, and nearly panicked all over again when she felt it's slow response.

"C'mon, Donna. The Doctor took care of you all those times. Now it's time you show him what you've learned."

Sprinting toward the kitchen cabinets, she grabbed a kettle and began preparing tea.

"Simple liquids to keep him hydrated," the redhead mumbled to herself.

Sprinting back, Donna kept splotching Harry's feverish skin with the cool wash cloth and after a few minutes, was happy when he began to respond to the cool touches.

The next few minutes were a blur as the steaming tea was poured into a cup and forced drip by drip, into Harry's mouth. She'd wetted the cloth once more and patted his skin in intervals. Donna didn't know if she was doing the right treatment, but she thought she'd figured out what happened.

Ten more minutes of force feeding him tea and cooling his heated skin, Donna triumphantly blew out a breath when Harry's eyes opened.

"Mmm...should have known you'd start without me," he remarked, pointing out his discarded shirt on the floor.

"Next time I'll leave you pounding on the door, sunshine," Donna replied, but couldn't help the smile that placed itself on her face.

"And what is wrong with me, Nurse Noble?"

"Food poisoning, probably. Anything you ate that made you feel bad afterward?"

"Nearly everything. I over ate, to say the least."

"Why?"

"Well I'm certainly not going to let the humans have it."

"I'm trying to look at this from your perspective. You'd rather die than let a human eat?"

"Of course. May have backfired a bit..."

"Un. Bloody. Believable."

Ignoring the weariness that crept into her eyes, Donna kept spotting his skin.

"Did they have Endinian croissants?" he asked.

"There were croissants, but they looked normal."

"They weren't. Funny thing is, this has happened before. The Endinians didn't particularly care for Time Lords. I had a feast, similar to this one, at their home planet and they'd specifically created this food to poison our kind. Killed the Endinians of course, after I got better. Not the whole race, just the ones that fed me. I guess they'd forgotten that we heal quicker than normal."

"Could this affect other species?"

"Of course. Now that's great! There must have been ten humans that had taken one."

"And how long is it going to take to cure them?"

"They're probably dead by now."

Donna jumped off the bed in fear, but was restrained by one of Harry's arms. He was grinning madly as he pulled her back down.

"Joking. The look on your face though. Very funny. You do understand humor, right? Ha-ha?"

"You are such a bastard," she vented, throwing the wet cloth in his face.

Harry's grip loosened and Donna sprang out of it.

"Oh really. Come on, it was kind of funny. Not even a tiny bit? How disappointing. I was hoping you'd find it funny, laugh along with me."

"How long?" Donna interjected.

Scratching his chin, the Time Lord pushed himself up in her bed.

"Give it a month to fully get it out of their system."

"A month?"

"Their immune systems have most likely never ingested an Endinian croissant. Needs some time to build up antibodies to fight it. The sickness should pass in two weeks."

Donna swung her head around, peering at the door.

"How did the Ood end up with Endinian croissants?" Donna asked.

"Most universes sell the ingredients for it. The cherry is the only recognizable ingredient to you. The rest is all galactic herbs and spices. There's different reactions for different races. Our race may heal faster from it, but we suffer more severely. If I hadn't been cooled down, I would probably have burned to death. Now that's strange...burning to death. Always thought I'd go peacefully."

"Oh I'm going to make sure you don't go peacefully."

"Still touchy about it? Only a joke. You know joking? When something tickles you to the point of expelling giggles from your throat?"

"Yeah, I know what it is," Donna commented steely, "but I didn't know what was happening to you. You could have...died."

The smile was wiped off Harry's face as he understood just what she had said.

"Like you would care."

But as soon as Harry spoke it, he knew he was wrong. Just in a few days, their relationship escalated into something neither of them could properly figure out. Something that had taken control of how they acted toward each other.

"By the time I get back here, I want you out of my bed."

"Where are you going?"

"Warning the Ood so they can warn everyone else. If I don't, they'll probably all die."

"Don't. They're asleep and that's when most of the symptoms occur. While their body is dormant. Like I said, the poison effects my species much worse than it does yours. If anything, they'll only feel mildly fatigued in the morning and every other morning for two weeks."

"And should I trust you?"

She'd turned around this time, keeping her tired eyes on his. Her whole body was worn out and a part of her was still having a conversation with Lee, somewhere in the feast room.

When Harry noticed the weariness and remembered just exactly what she'd done for him, the need to lie was overwhelmed with the need to ease her burden.

"I swear on Gallifrey."

Letting out a sigh, Donna walked over to the couch and sat down. Her mind was spinning. The unnatural reaction she had when the Time Lord was wondering exactly why she was so concerned about him, even surprised her. Could she be more attached to him than she previously realized?

"These beds are enormous," Harry noted.

"I'll take the couch, thank you."

"What? No stubborn remarks about making me get out of your bed?"

The heaviness under her eyelids overtook her body. Her head collapsed onto the sofa before she could properly argue.

Hearing nothing in reply, Harry felt a little bit disappointed. He didn't know why. Surviving a near regeneration generally tended to put him in a good mood. But he'd kicked Donna out of her bed after she had helped save his life, mocked her, then repelled her to sleep on the couch. All in one night.

Trying desperately to fight down the guilt, Harry stood up and was on his way back to his room when he stopped.

_She saved my life. Saved my life. Saved my life. Saved my life. The least I can to for her is..._

Knowing he was going to regret this, Harry changed paths and instead, ventured over to the sleeping redhead. Carefully, the blond picked Donna up bridal style and carried her over to her bed. His body was having a familiar reaction to the nearness, but he ignored it as he placed her down.

However, just as he was about to lean away...he smelled it.

Pure, untarnished, and completely harbored on the skin of Donna Noble was Harry Saxon's favorite scent in the universe. Havic Rasperry.

There was a monumentally large pause in his mind as the scent invaded his nose. It told him to do deliciously wicked things to the skin that carried the scent. It told him to bite and nibble and lick and suck at the neck which he'd picked the scent up on.

Lifting his head away, Harry surveyed the sleeping companion and rolled his eyes in buried frustration.

"Out of anyone I could have smelled it on, it just had to be you."

But he found his voice free of anger when he'd said it. In fact, he was incredibly eager that she carried it even if his mind refused to accept that.

This action gave him the power to spring away from Donna and move back to the connecting door. Before he had a chance to change his mind, he locked it from her side and shut it.

Falling down the door slowly, Harry swiped a hand over his face. Now knowing that the scent was on her skin, only proceeded to make his blood pound faster in his veins. It wasn't just the scent, but it was the fact that the scent was on her pale, creamy skin. Skin that would taste so delicious, even if it didn't taste like raspberries. Skin that had tasted delicious already.

After an unidentifiable period of time, the Time Lord stood up and walked over to his bed. His body had calmed down some from his reaction to Donna and the scent, but there was a need that had built up in him that might as well have replaced the drums. This need spurred from the scent but also from asking himself what exactly he thought he was doing. He should be gone with a teleporter already, not eating dinners with a human.

"Tomorrow," Harry whispered to the empty room, "this seduction, ends tomorrow."

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><p><strong>Even I'm not sure what's going through Harry's mind...and I'm the bloody author! Ah well. I think I might prefer it that way. To be honest, I'm not crazy about this chapter since I wrote it while experiencing large bouts of fatigue. But maybe you guys like it. Let me know what you're thinking in a review ;).<strong>


	21. The Tardis Funky

**Thank you again so much for the reviews. I'm actually thinking of ending this story pretty soon, but I don't know how long it will take or how it'll even end. Probably at least 6 more chapters, or more. And when I finally do get to the end, I'm calling out all of those faithful reviewers that have reviewed nearly every single chapter. So, enjoy from here on out!**

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><p><strong><strong>The Tardis Funky<strong>**

"What are we going to do, Doctor?" Martha asked quietly.

The inside of the Tardis was eerily silent. No one bothered to speak up. To be honest, none of them had ever found themselves in a situation quite like the one they were in now.

It'd all began fine when the Doctor had locked in the coordinates for the Ood Sphere and it seemed like they were off. However, a few seconds after leaving, they'd heard a strange clang that sounded like it had hit the outside of the Tardis.

When the Tardis stopped in what they guessed to be their destination, Martha almost screamed when she stepped outside and nearly fell. They were suspended near a star in space. Not on a planet, most certainly not on the Ood Sphere. Just in space.

And in that exact time, the Tardis just happened to begin shutting down. While an emergency shield kept the occupants of the Tardis afloat with oxygen, the Doctor couldn't lock in anymore coordinates. He'd yelled at the thing, begged it, even promised not to use the dreaded hammer, but the Tardis registered nothing as it went into hibernation mode.

So with the Tardis shut off, the four of them sat in blue box in the middle of space, pondering on their situation.

"We almost made it. You can see the Horsehead Nebula from here," the Doctor pointed out optimistically.

"Your Tardis is going to turn back on, right?" Mickey questioned.

"Of course...just...might take a while. Don't know what caused it to go into hibernation mode. Didn't even know it had a hibernation mode. Maybe," the Doctor mumbled to himself, "it was interrupted."

With that thought, he ran over to the open doors and felt around the outside of the Tardis; searching for anything odd or out of place.

Just as he was about to swing to the other side, his fingers brushed over a metal object.

"Hello. What do we have here?"

Pulling at the object, he nearly flung himself off when the object finally came unhinged.

"What is it?" Mickey asked, staring at the ovular metal.

"I don't recognize it," the Doctor muttered, confused at the beeping that stopped as soon as he'd touched it.

"That's a funky," Jack observed, a small grin on his face.

"Funky?"

"It was a time agency joke. I don't know the proper name, but we used to call them funkies. Not very many of them were produced since the guy who created them, drove his space ship into a blackhole afterward. Took the idea with him. But if you're in possession of a funky, you can stop the greatest mechanical system with one contact from this," Jack explained, taking a hold of the funky, "Has enough electrical current running out of it to shut down the best space ships. In fact, these were banned for awhile at the academy. Too many people messed around with them."

"Is the Tardis going to be alright?" the Doctor responded.

"Yes. They don't destroy the system, just simply stop it from running with the incredible power it has inside of it. Completely harmless thing and I'm sure somewhere inside, Doctor, you could work on rearranging the process."

"How long will it keep the Tardis from working?"

"Oh...a month, maybe. This looks like one of the very first models. The guy who invented them, was from my planet. Had everyone of his funkies go through our academy. We loved gadgets, and went through probably four revamps before the final brand was produced. Be glad it wasn't one of those. Those kept a high powered, self energy efficient, completely fresh and new ship from running for...100 years?"

"Your saying," Martha predicted, "that we could be stuck in space for a month?"

"Could. Won't be though. At least not when I'm concerned," the Doctor assured, throwing his glasses on as he observed the funky.

"Why the name though?" Mickey asked Jack.

"He loved listening to disco for hours on end. We called it Proctor's Funky when he finally finished it. Kind of just stuck, I guess."

"We're all missing the bigger picture here," Martha reminded.

"You don't want to be stuck in the Tardis with me for a whole month?" Jack asked in mock hurt.

"Oh you wish, pretty boy. The picture is...what the hell are you doing with a funky on your Tardis, Doctor? I'm guessing you didn't put it on there on purpose. Probably even didn't notice it until we...heard that noise just before we took off."

"Someone threw it on the Tardis on purpose?" claimed Mickey.

"Guess so," the Doctor admitted, rearranging the wires.

"You don't sound nearly as concerned about this as I thought you would be."

Jack silently agreed with Martha's statement.

"Well, I'm not. Because, whoever threw this on to the Tardis, probably was trying to stop us from finding Donna. Which leads me to the second point. If this individual really wanted to, they could have tried to attack one of us or even destroy my ship. But nope! Instead, they decided on trapping us somewhere but made sure we weren't going to die. Which leads me to the final point," the Doctor proclaimed, "any guesses? Anyone? Come on. Give it a shot...unless you're Donna's mum."

"Okay, so this person would be keeping us from saving Donna. Is she in trouble then?" Mickey guessed.

"Nope."

"Is she going to be in trouble?" Martha backed up.

"Not remotely...well...depends on what you mean by trouble."

"They're not just keeping us from saving Donna. They're trying to keep Donna around the Master," Jack concluded.

"Exactamundo! Ugh, oi...hit me the next time I say that," the Doctor exclaimed distastefully.

"Why would this person be keeping us from them? Is the Master going to kill Donna?"

"For once Martha, I think I have to disagree with you. It might be the exact opposite. This person might be throwing Donna into the Master's path on purpose. Just like the Master put Donna into his as soon as he gave back her memories. Might even be the same person who was at dear old Shaun's house," the time agent inferred.

"Which means that this same person, isn't from our time. Which also means that the Master is manipulating the time line. Which also means that he manipulated it so that this same person could come back into this time and throw Donna into the Master's path. The future version of him couldn't stay in this time line because if he were to run into himself in the same regeneration, well let me just leave it at the outcome would be very bad for a Time Lord. Which also means...you do know that you can stop me at any time?"

"No, you're doing good, Doctor."

"Alright then. So this woman doesn't want to hurt us. Doesn't want to hurt Donna. But she's keeping them in each others paths because..."

"She thinks that they belong together?" Jack emphasized and then shivered afterward.

"Exactamundo!"

Five seconds later.

"Oi! I was just kidding about the hitting part," the Doctor muttered, nursing his skinny arm.

"Sorry," Martha mentioned.

"None of this sounds like something the Master would do. He's got to be up to some kind of trick, right?" Mickey suggested.

"Don't know," the Doctor admitted. "But I do know that this is going to take me at least ten hours to rearrange. So get comfy, raid the fridge, and stay out of my bedroom...because we will be here for awhile."

"Oh what to do on the Doctor's Tardis for ten hours?" Jack mumbled to himself as he watched Mickey and Martha retreat into a bedroom.

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Donna didn't know how long she'd been sleeping for, but the sound of an engine roaring to life, was what awoke her first.

Jumping out of her bed, she ran over to the nearest window and watched above as the platforms closed underneath the exploration space ships for the final time. The humans were leaving the Ood Sphere.

_Good luck Jared, Steffie, Clark, Jason, Maddy, and Lee. I love you._

There was still sleep caught in the redhead's eyes but the rest of her body felt strangely at peace considering how uncomfortable she knew sleeping on a couch could be.

_Wait a minute...couch? I just woke up on the bed._

"Hope you didn't mind that I carried you back to your bed," a voice mentioned behind her.

Spinning around, Donna nearly slipped as she saw the close proximity in which the Time Lord had gathered himself. He was in between her and the bed without his shirt and only the black dress pants he'd worn the night before. Although unreadable, Harry's face still reflected something feral in his posture.

"You carried me back to my bed? Sure it wasn't one of the Ood, and you're just trying to take the credit?"

"No, it was me. There was a strange amount of...oh what you humans call, guilt? Yes, guilt at how quickly I dismissed you after you'd just saved my life. Thought I could repay you in some way," Harry answered, taking a few short steps toward her.

"Are you sure you're still not sick?"

"Very funny."

"Well you can't blame me. Carrying a human to a bed so she'll have somewhere comfy to sleep just because an evil Time Lord felt guilty for treating her like rubbish, isn't exactly the type of behavior I expect from you."

"Perhaps you don't know me as well as you think you do."

"No, I think I do," Donna remarked, noticing his attempt at cornering her.

"Really? Hmm...there is something I can guarantee my life on, you don't know about me."

Crossing her arms and steadying herself, Donna testily asked, "What's that then?"

"That my favorite," Harry stated quietly, moving closer and closer to Donna until he was only a foot away from her, "and I mean absolute favorite, scent in the world is...Havic Rasperry."

"So?" Donna commanded, feeling one of Harry's hands skip up her arm and lightly caress a lock of her hair.

"So, Donna," the blond laughed, closing the gap in between them so he could bury his face into the redhead's neck, sniffing the lock, "you're wearing it."

Donna stood petrified to the ground as an inaudible gulp elevated down her throat. This sudden invasion of personal space as well as the way Harry's voice lowered after his proclamation, sent a sudden bout of hormones crashing throughout her body.

Needless to say, Donna wasn't quite sure where to move on from there. It wasn't like she was attacked by a horny Time Lord every morning, much less one who was licking her-WAIT. What? Licking?

Closing her eyes as his tongue moved over her neck in a near feline fashion, Donna yelled at herself to snap out of it.

"Oh no, not this time," Harry promised throatily, grabbing her hands which were ready to push him away. "This time, there's going to be no freak to save you. No Doctor to interrupt. No humans for you to flirt with. Just me."

"You could at least try to make that sound like it's a good thing," Donna muttered sarcastically into his ear.

She knew it was strange when he didn't reply with something mocking or arrogant, and knew it was stranger still when he lifted his head to make eye contact with her.

What Donna saw in Harry's brown eyes, seemed to ignite all of her insides with something so foreign and so alien that she nearly passed out from seeing it. Oh sure there was lust and want and a ravaged need. But apart from all of that, still even deeper, behind his blackened irises and specs of brown dust, there was something that struggled so ferociously to make itself known. To let her know that his actions weren't just being followed from a promised revenge. That his actions were rooted not from hate, but from the exact opposite.

And as soon as Donna witnessed just the tiniest hint of it, so tiny that she knew Harry probably didn't even know he was emitting it, well...it was sufficient to say that when his lips captured hers in a starved madness, there wasn't much she did to prevent it.

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><p><strong>I hate leaving things with just kisses and touches, but I'm not very confident in writing believable sex scenes. Even though I have already, and want to continue this. So I guess I'm going to ask those who've helped me so much through reviews. Should I continue this scene in the next chapter, or should I just leave it and continue with post sex. Let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	22. And So It Ends

**So I did end up writing the scene (thank you reviewers who were both for it and against it), but I did it a bit differently than just kissing and touching. I just get really awkward with scenes of the sexual nature so I tend to be descriptive through emotions and feelings. Sometimes it's a blessing, other times, a curse. I don't know if I quite pulled it off here and as one reviewer pointed out, I could succeed or badly fail, but I suppose that's a risk I'm willing to take. That's the exiting thing about writing. Sometimes it really works. If it doesn't, I'll try my best to fix it up in the next chapter. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!**

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><p><strong><strong>And So It Ends<strong>**

The feeling of getting slammed up against a wall was really starting to annoy Donna. Not that it wasn't sexy or didn't add to the mood of wild passion that was infiltrating the atmosphere, but by the time that Harry slammed her back into the wall behind her, it had been perhaps the fourth or fifth time in just a few days. Needless to say, the groan that left her lips, wasn't one of ecstasy.

Donna didn't know how, but Harry recognized the groan to be one of pain and picked her up, kissing her in between breaths.

"Got to get you," he whispered, "somewhere more comfortable."

Through that process, Donna found herself once again on her bed.

Harry dove back into her neck, marking bruises on the pale skin that he wished would stay there forever. One of his hands traveled underneath Donna's shirt, shivering at what he was grazing his fingernails across.

"If I hear you call out the Doctor's name again," Harry assured, "we're going to start this all over again."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing," Donna retorted as an incredibly erratic shiver made her thrust up her lower body and gasp as it connected with his.

The Time Lord grinned at her response, somewhat relieved that her knees were a safe distance away from his crotch.

He then dove back into her lips, shredding her shirt along the way.

Shagging eventually turned into love making, to neither one's awareness. The love making was a playful affair of entangled limbs, needy calls, heartfelt vows, and many cries of a questionable god. So caught up in the passion, in the tugging of skin by teeth, the marking of skin (more so on Harry's part), butterfly kisses one moment and then feverish battles of tongues the next, scratches down once pale, flawless backs, grins and laughs in between groans and near cries of joy, that neither registered how exactly in synch they'd become.

Bodies thrusting and then waiting patiently for the other to catch up. Ravaged, near bloodied lips that were carefully healed by a persistent tongue. Passion swept eyes searched for something deeper than either party truly understood.

By the time that the third climax began, their love making had erupted into something entirely different. Eye contact replaced burying their heads and hiding away their naked expressions. Patient and knowing touches outwitted the selfish and naïve ones. Names that were once thrown about casually, were replaced by only each others.

"I want you to look at me this time," Harry insisted into her ear in between groans. "When I send you over the edge. I want to see the blue in your eyes. I want those sexy bangs, pasted onto your forehead. I want to see your red lips twist into pleasure."

Donna was a little bit speechless at the request, but she had to make up her mind up soon. It was coming.

Logic, reason, and control was gone. Severed off like a useless limb. There was only her heart left to guide her.

How she had gotten into this situation, so deeply entangled her emotions to a man that up to a few days ago, she believed had none, was truly astonishing. It was idiotic to think now that there was no attachment to him. It was idiotic of her to even have begun the attachments.

But right now, none of that mattered because the look in Harry's eyes was pleading with her, and Donna saw deeper into his soul than she'd ever seen before. The never ending loneliness experienced as a child and throughout his life as the drums took a hold of him. The betrayal upon learning that it was his own kind that had put the drums in his head. Then there was disappointment over and over again, never ceasing without ripping a part of his soul away.

This was a man that never asked, but took for fear of being rejected. For fear of losing the power he clung on to so desperately. For fear of loving, because in the end, love left him but power didn't.

Harry wasn't aware that he'd unconsciously opened his mind up to Donna, and didn't feel the exploration since her small steps into his mind were uncommonly gentle. Then just as quickly as the doors had opened, a brutal wall had closed the thoughts off.

But Donna had seen it, and she had seen him. And what she saw, despite everything he'd done, everyone he'd hurt, all that he'd destroyed, he wanted love just as much, if not more than the Doctor.

"Yes," Donna answered, allowing everything he'd asked for to enlighten her features.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

Of course not all good things last forever. Especially when they concern two people who were only together on that planet because one of them was stuck there and the other was extracting their revenge.

Harry had needed a few minutes to remember that it was revenge he'd just dealt out, and nothing else. But it was difficult to tell his body which cindered and frosted at the same time in irregular interludes. His breaths came out heavy, his eyes still dilated from taking in such raw emotions displayed in front of him only a few minutes before.

The Time Lord knew that he was a master of deception, no pun intended. Emotions on his face could be turned off and on like a light switch. On Donna's however, the emotions were sentimentally honest. And the honesty he saw that just about reached every contour of her body, surprised and scared him in a way he'd never been before.

So, as Harry's body fought off his mind's cruel accusations of how open he had just allowed himself to be, while instinctively pressing the spent redhead closer to him, the Time Lord for the first time in his life, was at a loss of what to do.

_Oh I know what I saw in her eyes. But how? After how I treated her, after knowing who I am. Doesn't matter though. In fact, this is better. I truly have the power over her, and the revenge was a success. Because it meant something to her._

It were those last thoughts that forced Harry to retreat from the bed, grabbing his boxers along the way.

"If this is how you extract your revenge, I've got to remember to make you more angry," Donna exhaustively grinned.

When Harry saw the grin, the beautiful lighting of indigo eyes, her orange hair sprawled out on the white pillow, he wanted to turn back. To lay back in the bed and hold Donna close. So close that she couldn't ever escape because he knew that as soon as she did, so would this feeling.

_And that is something I am never going to so heavily rely on ever._

"Just have to use the little Time Lord's room," he responded, sprinting through the connecting doors of the room.

"Like hell, Saxon," Donna said, her words following melodically and unconvincingly, after him.

He didn't say anything, made no malicious comment or accusatory jab. The blond just stood in his room, waiting for the next words to leave her lips.

"Maybe I'll see you again, someday," Donna finally commented quietly, folding the crimson sheets up to her pallid body as she glanced at the connecting door.

There was a stillness on the other end, so Donna continued,"But I'm glad I could help you rid the drums from your head. Don't ever have to worry about some sort of repayment. It was on the house...sort of."

Keeping silent, the Time Lord retrieved the teleporter that he'd gotten earlier that morning from an Ood. It had fallen into his hands right before he went into Donna's room to "seduce" her.

"And I hope you know that despite how much you want people to hate you, or how much pain you want to put people through...that it wasn't your fault. None of it. The only unfair thing is that you feel forced to carry hatred from somebody else's actions. Just like the Doctor forces himself to never love, lest he loses that one person. You two are truly Time Lords, the last of your kind, and so alone that neither of you will ever realize...you don't have to punish yourselves anymore."

The redhead felt rather than heard Harry's exit. Strangely, there was a bit of a dent in her heart. Maybe for just a second, Donna thought that she could convince him to...what? Stay with her? Enjoy just laying in bed? Having a normal conversation for once?

But it was stupid. To believe that Harry was capable of that.

_I never believed he was capable of love either._

And that was true. Everything she thought she'd known about the Time Lord, was thrown out the window with their passionate excursion that morning.

Did she love him? No. Too soon and too explosive for that. Did she care about him? Yes. Did she attach herself to him emotionally? Yes.

Was she hurting right now? Oh, but to answer that question would only transform that dent into a battle wound. Still, she was Donna Noble. Whether things were heading up or down, she faced them head on.

So, right now? Yes, you could say that she was hurting.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

As soon as Harry teleported back to the place he had called home for two years, he threw the device across the room and stumbled backwards into his bed. Falling on his side, he hugged his half naked form as acidic tears spilled down his face.

Pain from the loneliness. Pain from a continuous self destruction. Pain from forcing himself to kill and believing that was power. Pain from knowing that he had someone who took that all away from him, if only for a few days. Pain, pain, pain, pain. Vibrating heatedly inside his chest, congesting his throat and igniting his body into nothingness. Never allowing himself happiness.

The sobs shook him more than anything as he pulled violently at his hair. So many dusted and unused emotions, broke free. Once controlled and stable, the emotions that had played resolutely with his drums for centuries, were now doubting themselves.

And through it all, Harry kept forcing himself to forget. To fall back into his old ways because it was easy. Changing, especially when someone was more precious to him beside himself, was difficult. It hurt and made him feel so weak.

_But is that strength? To be able to push through the pain?_

Harry didn't know and he didn't allow himself to explore the thoughts.

Once the tears receded and only felt like bothersome droplets on his cheeks, the Time Lord closed his eyes and pretended desperately that he wanted to burn the pillow he was currently inhaling as if his life depended on it. It was either pretend or to for once in his life, feel something he didn't believe he deserved.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Doctor? Are you alright?" Jack questioned, holding the Time Lord up.

Things were going fine a few minutes ago. The Doctor was still rearranging wires, muttering to himself, the Tardis, and Jack at the same time when he'd dropped the funky and collapsed to the floor.

"His anguish. It's never been this bad before. It's unlike anything he's ever felt," the Doctor muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut as the other Time Lord's feelings began fading away.

"Donna," Jack whispered into his ear, "remember, we have to find Donna first."

The Doctor silently agreed as he sprang back up and continued to work on the funky. But his mind still hadn't shifted from what he just felt. Because the emotions emitted from the Master, well, the Doctor wasn't even sure that he himself, ever felt that.

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><p><strong>Just a little explanation from my mind on Harry's reaction to the whole thing. I think of it as for once, Harry has something that the Doctor doesn't. But he's not quite aware of that, and wasn't until he and Donna made love. However, that scared him so much that when he had his little breakdown back at his home, it was because he wanted it, but didn't believe he should. Everything he was for centuries, was fighting against this new man that was forming. This man that was probably inside him the whole time, waiting for the right person to pull him out. And now that this new person is feeling, and thinking, and wanting something that Harry never allowed himself to have for fear of it being weak and useless, well, he's understandably a bit wrecked. Especially when Donna called him out so accurately on what he was feeling once she had gotten a look into his mind. But don't worry, this weeping Harry won't be around for long...oops, was that a spoiler? Nah. Anyway, whether that was a complete success or a miserable hit, is really anybody's opinion but I did have to eventually get to this point, even if the chapter was a bit too short for my liking. Anywho, let me know what you're thinking in a review ;).<strong>

**P.S.  
>Nearly 100 reviews? Holy Expletive! Honestly, thank you so much to everyone who's ever reviewed this story!<strong>

**OH! and P.S.S.  
>I GOT MY HARRY POTTER 7, PT.2 TICKET FOR THE MIDNIGHT SCREENING! NOW I'M GOING TO GO AND PRETEND THAT THE DROPLETS ON THE KEYBOARD RIGHT NOW, ARE FROM A LEAKY FAUCET..ON THE CEILING. AAAHHHH!<strong>


	23. Spaceman & Earthgirl

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, as always. It's kind of disappointing that I can't really write smut very well because I really would like to. But my writing is kind of hitting this dry spell right now that makes me rush chapters and write a lot less detail in a story than I normally would. So I'm glad I didn't attempt smut since it probably would have ended up not my best And hopefully I can get through this spell and get back to writing like I have been. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! **

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><p><strong><strong>Spaceman &amp; Earthgirl<strong>**

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked her softly, sitting down on the bed.

"Course I'm alright. Don't be daft," Donna replied, taking the spot next to him.

It wasn't even an hour ago that the Tardis had landed successfully on the Ood Sphere and the occupants piled out to inform Donna of everything they'd learned. But while Jack, Martha, and Mickey mistook her smile for relief, the Doctor noticed the crumbled exterior. It was one that he wore so often when he tried to admit that nothing hurt and everything was okay. He knew enough that the smile relayed the exact opposite.

So after Donna had informed them that Harry had taken off with a teleporter, the trio went to go eat a quick lunch that the Ood were more than happy to set up. The Doctor however, sat rooted beside the redhead, examining her closely.

"You know you can tell me," he responded, taking her hand into his.

Something monumental had happened. The Doctor could feel it just in the atmosphere of the room.

"Thank you Doctor, but I'm fine. Just a bit of fatigue mixed in with about bloody time that you got here!" Donna exclaimed.

Laughing, the Doctor swung his arm around her.

"Don't know how I survived two years without you."

"Can't remember how I survived two years without you."

Seeing the hesitant look on his face, Donna assured, "Don't worry about it. You know I've forgiven you for that already."

"That's a relief. Seems like you're the only one," he noted.

When Donna didn't reply, the Doctor glanced back and quickly wrapped his arms comfortingly around her as tears slowly grazed down her cheeks. He hummed soothingly at the back of his throat, hugging the redhead tighter whenever she tried pulling away and allowed his blue suit to be stained with tears.

"I'm so bloody stupid," she laughed ironically into his shoulder. "36 years old and you'd think I'd have learned something about love along the way. Not to hang on to it, especially with a man that doesn't reciprocate it."

"I'm here," the Doctor muttered into her hair, "I'm here this time."

And so Donna explained with regret, what had happened only hours earlier and the confusion she felt at hurting when the Time Lord had left. How one minute, they were having mind blowing love making, and the next, he was gone.

"I knew though. I knew as soon as he got up, that he was leaving. I knew that he wouldn't stay and that was just a part of revenge. But I don't understand why it hurts so bad. Or when exactly I allowed myself to feel something other than lust."

"Donna, you are the last person I expect in all of these universes to only feel lust. You are capable of so much love and so much compassion that when you notice a common ground and a creature that's hurt, you do what so many humans I know, don't. You care for them. No matter how much evil they try to show or vengeance they lay out, your heart makes room for not only who they are, but what they feel. The Master is...an interesting case. He is a man that hardly breaks character and preys on weaknesses. I think you two became equals in the past few days. But when he realized that he'd allowed you to see a part of him that only I've seen, he panicked. As he panics when I try to help him. He feels safe hurting people. He feels safe being alone. It might not be what he really wants, but it's all that he knows."

Donna understood this, and she had been thinking about it as soon as Harry had left. But it still didn't take away the odd sorrow that set itself into her frayed nerves.

"Is this what you feel when he doesn't accept your help?" Donna asked, allowing the Doctor to brush with the pad of his thumbs, at her wet cheeks.

"Sometimes. I got used to it after a certain point. But the most important thing is to not let this get you down. You deserve so much better and you know it," the Doctor admitted, then cringed inwardly at the thought of Shaun. You didn't have to be an alien to know that they didn't belong together.

"Yeah right," Donna laughed, brushing back her messy hair, "my face probably looks like a car wreck."

"Maybe," the Doctor agreed, "but you're a beautiful car wreck."

"Thank you, Doctor of cheesiness," Donna responded, hugging him once more before they stood up.

The Doctor exchanged information about the funky until Mickey, Martha and Jack came back.

"So, we've got information," Martha declared.

"Me too," Donna admitted.

Ten minutes later.

"The Doctor is the one who caused the time interference," Donna protested.

"It was the Master," Jack answered back.

Both persons looked at the Doctor for support.

"I have to agree with-," the Doctor began, shooting Donna an apologetic look, "Jack."

"I don't believe it. Besides, why would the Master insert himself into my time line?" Donna questioned.

"We think he's up to something. But, the present him has had you in his clutches already and hasn't killed you. Maybe it's a bigger plan than that," Martha described.

"That's ridiculous. What plan? There is no plan. Harry and I hooked up because of my stupidity. I assure you, the thing on his mind wasn't revenge against the Doctor. Well, maybe at first it was since I'd promptly threw myself at him. But eventually, the revenge was just aimed at me."

"We know, but-."

"No, listen. Whatever he's got "planned", hasn't been established yet. Trust me, I know."

"How?"

Donna glanced at the Doctor for help answering Jack's question. Neither had informed the trio that Harry and she had been shagging only hours before on her bed.

"I accidentally slipped into his mind," Donna commented but described nothing further. "There were no plans or plots. Just..."

"He could have purposefully made sure you hadn't seen anything," Mickey offered.

"When I looked into his mind," the redhead explained, twiddling her thumbs, "he wasn't aware of it. Plus, this is Harry Saxon we're talking about. He never lets anybody near his thoughts."

"Alright. One pest at a time," Jack agreed. "What about this woman? Any ideas on who she might be? Threatened your boyfriend against finding out about you, threw the funky onto the Tardis, or so we assume, and is probably out of her time line due to the Master's time interference."

"No clue," responded Donna.

"What bothers me the most about the funky," the time agent went on, "is that the funkies aren't just gadgets you can buy anywhere. You'd have to do some heavy dealing and smart purchasing to find them. No one's ever been able to come close to replicating Proctor's original, much less his final product."

"What did you say again to Shaun when he stopped by?" Donna wondered, a coy smile on her face.

"Just that I got you a job at Torchwood," Jack mentioned carefully.

"As what?"

"My personal assistant."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Whatever you want it to mean," he emphasized with a wink.

"Moving on then," the Doctor interrupted, throwing an arm around Donna whose face was challengingly staring back at Jack's.

"To the Tardis?" Martha guessed.

"To the Tardis," everyone agreed.

On their way out of the Ood Palace, Donna noticed Ood Rho heading down a spiral staircase. It was the same one that she and Harry had ventured down to figure out what had happened to her thoughts.

"Hold on a minute," Donna mumbled, running to Ood Rho.

Once he sensed her presence, the alien turned around curiously.

"I just want to thank you so much for your hospitality. And everything you've informed us of. Or me I suppose. And the plum peppers? Bloody amazing," Donna exclaimed.

Then before he could say anything, Donna wrapped her arms around the alien and hugged him. It ws completely unexpected on both parts but the redhead wanted to convey the relief and gratitude she felt on her stay. Because even though things had spiraled down a path she hadn't expected and it had ended in pain, there was a part of her that was healed thanks to what had happened on the planet.

Awkwardly, she pulled away.

"Thank you, Donna Noble. It was an honor meeting you. If you could only be so kind as to return the favor in one way," Ood Rho stated.

"Of course. What would you like?" Donna sputtered, surprise and curiosity masking her features.

Blinking his eyes four times, Ood Rho added enigmatically, "An invite to the wedding."

Before Donna could reply, Ood Rho turned around and descended down the stairs, leaving a stunned and completely confused redhead in his wake.

"What wedding?" Donna muttered under her breath.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

Chomping viciously on a burger, Harry closed his eyes as a cool wind blew through the chipped glass of a window. Long gone were his tears and burdensome thoughts. He was back to his original, evil self and he couldn't have been happier.

Since he'd came back from the Ood Sphere, Harry had managed to burn his pillow sheets and blanket, "acquire" new ones from a house at the end of the block, steal a vendor's machine when the innate human wasn't looking, take a short nap, read through Ulysses again and comment to himself about how absurd each Joyce novel was, and take apart then repair the teleporter, five times.

At this present time however, eating the hamburger and enjoying the cool breeze, there was a strange vulnerability that entered him. He'd had no knowledge of it until everything simply stopped. There were no errands to run, no walking to keep his mind cleared, and no sleep to submerge himself in. It was when his mind was clear, that the thoughts came back.

But he pushed angrily at those thoughts, willing them to leave. The Doctor's companion was long gone and so were any potential feelings that stirred whenever Harry thought of her. He was alone once again, without the drums pounding in his head and that was wonderful in itself.

Studying the empty room, the even emptier spot beside him and the cool wind that had turned wickedly cold in just a few seconds, the Time Lord suddenly couldn't remember why being alone was supposed to make him happy.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Your Lee? Really?" the Doctor asked happily, surprise scratching his features.

"Yep. Can't say his health calmed me any, but at least his stuttering is gone. Do you think that if you were to erase my memories, all of the people I've helped, would go back to having their troubles?" Donna asked.

"Interesting concept. I can't see why it would reverse the process on them. Why...are you thinking about-?"

"No. When hell freezes over. I'm just...curious. Another thing he'd made me think of is...after we get this thing with my memories sorted. Lee traveled so many places and that's what kept him strong. It's what kept him from drowning in the obvious fact that he'd never found me. I was wondering," Donna hinted, "if maybe you could do that to gramps. I mean obviously not travel forever, but some sort of adventure to some different planets. I know it's rarely safe...but I think it'd be worth it for him. To see that sort of beautiful thing."

The pause seemed deafening as Donna scoured the Doctor's features, hoping for a good answer.

"You're sure about that? It'd mean you have to take a number for the Tardis express," he observed.

"Yeah, I think I am. Maybe start life out again, with my actual memories and find myself a relationship that would make Lee proud. Strange wisdom he's garnered though. You would have gotten along with him really good. After gramps is all traveled out...if I could come back. I know this is asking a lot, but-."

"Donna, I honestly don't mind. You've proved yourself to me countless of times."

"Alright...then I've got another proposition. I've been thinking about it ever since I found out about the time interference. Doctor," the redhead said, lowering her voice, "I want you to go inside my head."

The Doctor's hand slipped accidentally over a switch at Donna's words.

"Wait, what? Inside your mind? How? Why?"

"Calm down, Siegfried. It's just an idea on how we can finally piece everything together. I want you to help bring forth the memory from the night at the pub. Can't remember a bloody thing, but if you're able to access around my memories and find the one from that night, we can finally figure out what happened."

"Oh," the Doctor expressed, "gotcha. Well...I don't see why not. When do you want to do it?"

"As soon as we get back. I want to put these past few days behind me. Just make sure that I stay awake while the memory is processed. I...need to know the truth."

"Alright," he answered as the Tardis landed on the Noble's street corner. "I suppose it is time anyway, for things to come full circle."

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"It's not going to hurt her, is it Doctor?" Wilf questioned from behind him.

"No. I'm going to be as gentle as possible. Now Donna, it's important that you try to remember just exactly what happened that night. Reach as far as you can remember and I'll pull out the rest of the night. And if at anytime, another memory tries to press itself through, imagine it running into a wall. And inside of the wall is your lost memory at the pub. Do you understand?"

Donna nodded confidently before closing her eyes.

"Good," he replied, tentatively pressing both hands to each side of her temple. "Now, I just want you to relax."

"Alright."

"Emtpy your mind."

"Mhm."

"Now remember last Sunday night."

"Mmm."

"Donna?"

"Mhm?

"You can breathe."

"Whew. Sorry Doctor. I don't know why I'm so nervous."

"Don't worry. I'm going to be gentle. I promise."

And with those final words, the Doctor entered Donna's mind and reopened the memory of a night lost in a thick blanket of alcohol and mysteries.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you're thinking in a review ;) <strong>


	24. The Greatest Hangover Forgotten

**Thank you so much for the reviews I got last chapter. Sometimes I think that I've got some of the best reviewers on this site. It's like you guys know when I'm faltering and on the verge of quitting, but each review I get, helps me to keep writing on. So because of that, I can finally reveal one thing. I've got an ending. Very rough right now, but I know where, when, and somewhat how it's going to end. As you've noticed, I'm not a professional writer. I write based on impulse and feeling with no planned chart event and no beta. But I'm still thankful that everyone has stuck with me. Again, thank you very much and I hope you enjoy this next one!**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>The Greatest Hangover Forgotten<strong>**

"Oi, don't look at that!" Donna shrieked, struggling to keep her eyes closed.

"Sorry, sorry. You just have to keep that sort of stuff behind the wall."

Donna blushed suddenly, attempting to keep all memories of the first night she'd seduced Harry Saxon, out.

"Sorry," the redhead muttered as a particularly heated memory got out.

This time, the Doctor was the one that blushed.

"Focus. Just focus," he said, allowing Sunday night's memory to be cut off from everything else.

It was a strange procedure, having the Doctor in her mind. Sure he'd put the song of the Ood in her mind once and again, he'd trespassed when taking away her memories, but both of those times, Donna didn't have time to truly marvel at the process.

She supposed it was like a filing cabinet and the Doctor simply filed and shuffled through memories. Some were easier to discard, others were unnecessarily persistent, like glue stuck to his fingers. The ones that required Donna the most energy to keep behind the wall were the ones of Harry. A part of her wanted them to be out in the open for everyone to see while another part of her cherished them like some treasured secret she had.

When the Doctor said he was going to be gentle, he wasn't kidding. The process almost made Donna want to fall asleep. It was slow and kind, allowing her control of what was exposed and what was hidden.

"Almost got it," the Doctor muttered. "Your mind's trying to keep it locked up. Strange..."

"What? Is something wrong?" Sylvia hurriedly asked.

"No. Not really. Usually memories forgotten due to drunkenness are easily able to be pulled out. There's just a dark spot in your mind that I'd have to pull it out of. But the memory is guarded. I think something in the drinks allowed a shield to form around the memory. So that you couldn't remember it," the Doctor explained, "but, they weren't expecting me to have a look about. Just...about...gotcha!"

Inhaling suddenly, Donna nearly opened her eyes again as she watched an image appear before her eyes. It was of London during the twilight hours, and walking down the street with a mission on her face was herself, Joan, Cady and Stacy.

"We just listen in then?" Donna inquired, studying the bizarre gang, already walking like they were drunk.

"Yes," answered the Doctor.

"I can't promise you that what I'm going to say isn't going to make you want to plug your ears."

"Oh I've heard worse...this woman once on the planet Grevelle tried to force me to marry her daughter. Needless to say, she certainly let me know what she thought in native Grevellian. This was after I found out that her daughter wasn't actually female. So then I-well. Yes, it was an unpleasant situation to say the least."

"I really wanted to know that."

"Oi, not my fault I'm so ravishing."

"Yes, I bet the men just fall at your feet."

"Will you two calm down?" Jack tried to sternly say, laughter hitching itself in his throat.

Both of them quieted themselves and allowed the scene to play out before them.

"Bernie's pub'll get the bloke out of your mind," Joan exclaimed, hooking her arm with Donna's happily.

"I suppose," Donna replied.

"What do you mean, ya suppose?" Stacy asked beside her.

"Seems like these rows Shaun and I get into, need more alcohol than usual to forget. Does that make me an alcoholic?"

"No, that makes Shaun a bastard and you a saint. Now I think I can hear martinis calling our name."

They entered the pub dramatically and Cady mentioned right away that she couldn't have too much to drink.

"Doesn't bloody matter. Schooling is a joke now. Doubt the principal will be able to tell whether you're hungover or not," Stacy joked.

"I doubt he will too. Spending all that time, shagging the intern."

"Poor intern," Donna and Joan laughed. The principal was a short, stout, bald headed man that wheezed whenever you mentioned the weather.

"Hey doll, do you come with the drink?" a man on his fifth whiskey, crudely asked Donna.

"Oh yeah. Also comes with my fist. Want a taste?"

Joan chuckled while Cady shook her head in amusement.

"What can I get you lovely ladies?" the bartender asked.

"Jager Mojito."

"Cosmo."

"French martini."

"Vodka martini."

"Damn. You ladies came to drink," he yelled approvingly over the rambunctious crowd.

Behind them, a football match was just beginning its second half and the men yelled angrily at the refs for letting the wrong team take a foul.

On either side of the girls, stools littered the bar table with married and unmarried men groveling for a bird's attention or ordering their sixth shot.

"Somebody ought to give those depressed pissers something good to drink," Joan acknowledged toward the other side of the bar where men and women sat, staring at either their drinks or empty space.

"Or a good ride," Donna lecherously joked.

The ladies laughed and then accepted their drinks.

"Cheers to no men. All they do is screw you over, knock you up, and bury you in dirt," proclaimed Stacy.

"Oh I'll drink to that," grinned Donna, downing her drink in one go. "Another, please."

"You really did come to drink."

"Course I did, Stace. It's a bloody pub, not a church."

And so the drinks were downed, refilled, and downed again.

"I'm impressed with your drinking abilities, Donna," the Doctor pointed out, smiling.

"Oh hush. Although, I wish I could heal my liver from that night. Bloody mess it probably was."

Donna wasn't kidding and by the time her third drink entered her body, everybody in the pub began to have a slightly fuzzy outline.

"I'm going to get going," Cady announced, hiccuping.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. But thanks for the good night out Donna."

"No problem. See ya later."

About five minutes later, Stacy stumbled over with a man attached to her side.

"You won't get tiffed if I leave without you, will ya?"

"You're my ride home, Stace. Yeah, I'll get pretty tiffed."

"Right. Well, I promise not to leave. How come you're not getting any more drinks?"

Glancing at her empty glass, Donna laughed.

"Got no more money."

"I've been trying to tell her," Joan added, "to ask that the bloke over there who's been keeping his eyes on her the whole night, for a drink. Flirt with him."

"What are you on about? No one's staring at me," Donna said, trying to peer into the distance.

"Vodka martini, courtesy of the gent across the room," the bartender informed suddenly, gesturing his head to a man sitting in the depressed pissers section.

"Oh my god," Donna cried, opening her eyes suddenly to meet the Doctor's brown ones.

The image was gone as the redhead tried to comprehend what she'd just saw.

"That was...," Donna tried to explain, "that was Harry."

Closing her eyes briefly, Donna saw him clear as day. He sat on one of the stools wearing a black jacket, white dress shirt underneath and black pants. His blond hair stood proudly on display, his face was smooth and free of the five o clock shadow that she'd gotten so use to not only seeing, but feeling. Yet, something was off about his expression.

"He looked so...happy," she realized.

Glancing at the Doctor for his opinion, Donna found the same expression masking his face.

"He looked in love," the Doctor disbelievingly noted.

"The Master in love? Now that's something I'd like to see," Martha remarked.

But it was too late. Donna had seen exactly what the Doctor had and neither of them could deny it.

"Ready to start again?" he finally questioned, pressing his hands to her temples.

"Yeah," she replied a bit breathlessly.

Allowing the memory to slither back into her mind, Donna closed her eyes as the image appeared.

"I bloody said he fancied you!" Joan exclaimed triumphantly.

Donna simply lifted her glass in the direction she thought he was in, and then gulped it down.

There was a slight shiver that racked through her, but otherwise, Donna and Joan went to go find a table since the bar area was getting a little too crowded. Stacy had disappeared into the crowd again with Nigel at her side.

"C'mon Donna, I'm sure you can forgive Shaun for this," Joan objected.

"Dunno. Probably. It just doesn't seem like we can stay together. Then mum keeps bringing up marriage every time he comes over. Bloody embarrassing."

"Do you want to marry him Donna?"

Staring up at the bar, Donna noticed the bartender motion for her.

"Be right back."

"Another drink, courtesy of the same man. Vodka martini," the bartender informed.

"Wonderful," Donna thanked.

Lifting the drink up again, she gulped it down and made her way back to the table.

"Another drink? Wow, he must like you more than I realized. Do you know him?"

"Never seen him before in my life."

"You sure?" Joan asked, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Swear on my dad's grave. But as long as he's keeping me from sobriety, he can be my best friend for all I care."

So the cycle replayed over again. The bartender would motion for Donna to collect another drink every eight minutes and Donna would down it before getting back to Joan. Eventually, Stacy left without Donna's knowledge and by the time the seventh drink rolled around, Joan was slowly making her leave after noticing the blond man venture from his seat to make his way over to Donna.

"I don't remember this part at all," she muttered, tightening her hold on the Doctor's hands momentarily.

Donna was just drinking the latest vodka martini when Harry appeared beside her. Neither Joan nor Stacy were kidding about the looks he threw her that night. His eyes seemed brighter, more alight, and livelier as they gazed upon the redhead.

"Are you enjoying your drinks?" he asked.

His voice sent shivers down Donna's spine and nearly made her drop the glass she held in her hands.

"Yeah. Thanks," she replied, obviously not really wanting much to do with him now that her head was telling her that it was probably time to go.

"Good," he whispered.

And when he whispered, despite the noisy pub and screaming men and wanton women, his whisper shot straight to her ears.

"What are you staring at?" she asked, noticing the odd sadness that had all of a sudden crept into his eyes.

"Just...just you," he replied back, closing off the sorrow.

"Yeah, I should get going. Boyfriend's probably worried at home," Donna lied, making her way through the throngs of people.

"I could walk you back home, Donna," Harry said, skimming his hand down her pale skin.

"One, don't bloody touch me! Two, how the hell do you know my name? I never told you."

"It's a bar, love. One man's secret is another man's story."

"I am not your love, so kindly bugger off, will ya? I'm just trying to make my way home."

With this, Donna finally pushed past a particularly rowdy crowd and pushed at the exit door.

Watching her form stumble out the door, Harry's face lit up in carnal amusement.

"Oh you may not be right now Donna Noble, but very soon, you will."

And with that final proclamation, Harry followed her lead out of the door.

Once outside, he scanned each way carefully before disappearing in the middle of the alley with a bright smile on his face.

This time, Donna outwardly shivered and broke the connection once more as her confused eyes flung to the Doctor's.

"What? What happened?" Jack asked, seeing the shift in mood.

"I know you might not want to, but we have to finish this memory. To make sure that we see what really happens," the Doctor acknowledged, taking a hold of Donna's hands.

Nodding, Donna ignored the fire that had erupted inside her limbs and closed her eyes.

From here on out, the Doctor and Donna observed her stumbling home, cursing at Stacy leaving without her, deciding on just walking back to her mum's house and finally hitting her bed in exhaustion.

"Oh, what's this?" the Doctor mumbled curiously.

He was watching the gold layer erupt from her forehead and then hover above her. It did it only momentarily before retreating back inside. Still, the cycle went on for perhaps a half hour before it ceased.

"And you woke up with your memories?" the Doctor concluded, taking his hands off of Donna's temples**. **

"Yeah," she agreed.

"So what happened?" Martha asked.

"Well...it was the Master that gave back her memories. Fused them and then slipped it into her drinks. Used an eight minute interval to divide two years of memories. Impressive. Really impressive," the Doctor explained.

"And why did he give them back?" Jack questioned.

Donna and the Doctor met each others eyes. Hers were begging him not to discuss Harry's last comment while the Doctor's were insistent on telling the truth. But the Doctor also understood that his answer wouldn't make any sense. What would he say? The Master caused a time interference because he loved her? Not only did that not sound right, but it literally sounded unbelievable. Especially with how he'd left Donna this morning.

"He wants something from Donna," the Doctor ended up describing. "And I think he's gotten it. If he really wanted to, he could have teleported away with Donna once he found out that I was coming to the Ood Sphere. But he left by himself which only makes me assume that he found what he came for."

"You're sure?"

Taking in Sylvia's hopeful features, the Doctor nodded.

"What do we do now?"

Switching his gaze to Martha's, the Doctor replied, "Nothing. Mystery solved, partially. We know how she got her memories back, who gave them back and that the Master got what he wanted. Although we don't know about this mystery woman and I only advise everyone to keep a look out for her. Donna, you can finally settle down with your memories. Jack, Martha, and Mickey, thank you for coming. You can all head back to your families and friends whenever you wish. Sylvia...for fear of saying the wrong thing, I'm only going to keep my mouth closed. And Wilf...I've got a proposition for you," the Doctor finished, winking at Donna.

"Really? It was that simple? No surprise Cybermen or Daleks hiding somewhere. Just a case of a time interference that ended up changing nothing? Seems too simple," Mickey argued.

Everyone in the room agreed wholeheartedly with that statement, but said nothing about it. What could they have said? What could they do? Stick around until the mysterious lady made her presence known? Harry was most likely long gone and was never going to come in contact with Donna again. What reason did they have to stay? They now knew nearly all of the pieces to the puzzle.

"Well, let's not complain that something really bad hasn't happened," Martha decided, grabbing Mickey's hand in the process.

"You two heading back then?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah. Mum's been calling 24/7. Thought Mickey and I'd been taken or something. But it was nice seeing you again Doctor, and you too Donna. Thanks for the hospitality Sylvia. Wilf. And Jack...be safe, alright?"

"I'm always safe. Unless that held a completely different meaning to it. In that case then-."

"Goodbye," Donna expressed, "and thank you for everything, Martha."

The couple made their way down the hallway and out the door, intent on finishing what they'd started on the Tardis.

Meanwhile, Wilf had been taken aside by the Doctor and the two of them began an earnest discussion that Donna hoped her gramps would never forget.

"And what about you?" Sylvia snapped at Jack. No matter how charming Jack tried to act, Donna's mum wasn't fooled by it.

"Actually, I've also got to talk to Donna."

"Really? About what?" Donna asked in surprise.

"Future job occupation. What are you planning on doing once the Doctor leaves?"

Scanning Jack's suddenly serious expression, Donna's mind tuned out the sound of the doorbell ringing and Sylvia's tired expression as she rushed to go answer it.

"I don't know. Suppose I could find another job. Real, proper job. Why?"

"I've been thinking about you. Yes, things are fine and dandy now but I don't want a post Doctor life to bury you. Rose got the meta crisis Doctor. Martha's got Mickey. Sure, you've got your family, but other than that, there's no reminder for you of everything you've done. You're pretty special, Donna."

"Oh shut up. I'm just an ex companion of the Doctor's from Chiswick. Nothing extraordinarily special."

"But I think you are and I want to offer you the life that the Doctor won't be able to. Because let's face it, the Doctor is eventually going to have to go find the Master. That's what he'd been doing for two years. He won't rest until he saves him. Basically Donna, I want to offer you not just a job at Torchwood, but a place with me, as a friend."

"By place, you mean...?"

"Anywhere you want to go, you're there. Anything you want to do, minus destroying the world, you can do. I want to offer you the adventure because I know that it's what you crave and what you're good at and what keeps you fulfilled."

Struggling to close her shocked mouth, Donna only blinked in shock at Jack's proposal.

However, she didn't have too much time to think about it because as soon as she looked up at the pounding of footsteps coming down the hallway, her heart sunk. Shaun stood before her, breathless and grinning.

"Donna! You're back from Cardiff. I'm so glad," he expressed, running up to her. "I'm so sorry about yelling at you on Sunday night. I promise though, things will be different. I'll get a third job. See if we can afford some place better, because that's what you deserve."

"Calm down Shaun," Donna said, trying to smile brightly as her mother beamed in the background.

"This past week, I got my paycheck. Finally got enough money," he exclaimed.

"Enough money for what?" Donna questioned, catching Jack's questioning eyes.

"For this," Shaun replied, kneeling down on the ground and pulling out a black box from his pocket. "Donna Noble, I love you very much. So much that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. God, this sounds so bloody cliched, doesn't it? But my love for you, isn't. So that's why I need to finally ask after three years. Will you marry me?"

Donna's answer never reached past her lips. A proper thought never even made it to her brain. All she saw was black spots appear in front of her before she promptly fainted into Jack's arms who'd rightfully assumed what her reaction was going to be.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

At eight o clock on a Wednesday night, Harry woke up to the sound of his door being banged on. Immediately, he thought of Donna. In fact, he didn't just think of her, but allowed all of the hope he thought he'd buried back into himself, to believe it was her.

But as the banging continued and Harry's smile slowly retreated, he realized that Donna would never knock. She'd barge right in. Just this simple bit of knowledge about her, made his hearts increase in their beats.

"I know you're in there, Saxon!" a voice yelled from behind the door, followed by harsher raps.

Harry froze, and stared at the door in dismay. He'd hoped that the human had just gotten the wrong door. A female, if he heard correctly. Maybe she was lost.

Still, this meant that he was probably going to kill her now that she knew who he was. Whether she'd followed him home or he'd accidentally showed his face and she recognized it, he wasn't sure. Or maybe he'd kill her just because of how annoying she was.

Hopping up out of the bed and stumbling through the dimness of the room, Harry placed his hand on the doorknob in aggravation. The banging was almost worse than the drums.

"Open up! Open up! Open up!"

_Definitely female._

Angrily, Harry flung open the door and was rewarded with an echoing slap across his face. It was so sudden and so quick that the Time Lord had no chance of sending out a bolt of lightning from his hand. Instead, he backed up some, rubbed his cheek in disbelief, and watched as a woman strutted into the room, an enraged scowl marring her face.

His attempt to say or yell something at her, was denied by the storm brewing in her green eyes.

"Harry Saxon. You stupid, selfish, lonely, and idiotic son of a bitch! What the hell have you done?"

Closing and opening his mouth like a fish out of water, Harry stared back in confusion.

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Oh don't you dare start with me! I forgot that you would be vain, egotistical, hateful, and cruel in this time. But I never thought that you'd be as heartless and asinine as to screw up all the chances you've had with Donna Noble, in these past few days."

Both of Harry's hearts skipped a beat at the mention of Donna's name.

"Who the hell are you?" Harry asked, slipping both hands underneath his armpits in order to prevent himself from frying her alive.

"I am the person who made most of this happen. Now I want you to shut up, sit down, and listen to what I have to say. I've only got two days left here before I go back to my time. And what I'm about to say," the woman explained importantly, "might be the very last chance you'll ever have at being truly happy."

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><p><strong>Lol...yeah. So...let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	25. Misdemeanors of the Marriage Kind

**Thanks for the reviews! Hmm...what to say about this next chapter? Lots of information again, and some drama erupting. It's so strange that originally, I planned for this story to be romantic and humorous but it ended up being neither one. Certainly not as funny as I hoped. Ah well. You can't win em all. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong><strong>Misdemeanors of the Marriage Kind<strong>**

"Are you alright?" Jack uncertainly asked, spotting Donna's forehead with a wet cloth.

Feeling herself on a bed, Donna groggily embraced the cool cloth as she opened her eyes.

"I'm on a bed. You're above me, spotting my forehead. Bloody hell! I'm not pregnant, am I?"

"No. Of course not. At least, not yet."

"Oi, that is not funny," Donna argued, but couldn't hold off her smile at Jack's amusement.

"Don't worry. You're in your mom's room. Everyone is outside but I convinced them to let me cool you down some. Or prepare yourself, whichever is more appropriate, considering the occasion."

Pushing herself up on her elbows, Donna stared at the room where on the other side, a frantic Shaun was still holding the box with the ring in one hand.

"Shit. He really did ask me to marry him? Thought it was just a bad dream I was having."

"You don't want to marry him?"

"Jack, I don't even think I love him. I mean he was good to me, nice, and he's decent when we're having meals at each other's houses. But otherwise, I don't see myself as Mrs. Temple. Hmm...Donna Temple. He might as well be Shaun Church."

"Who do you love then?"

Donna was scarily close to uttering Harry's name when she remembered that none of it was real.

"Certainly not Shaun."

"Then you've got to tell him that."

"I know. I just feel guilty about it. Telling him no because I don't love him. That's brutal."

"Not any more brutal than what the Master did to you."

Pausing, Donna opened her mouth to retort something but was stopped by Jack's hand.

"I worked out what happened. Probably when I came into your bedroom and saw the sheets all messed up on your bed. Experienced enough of that to know what that meant. I can't speak for you and I'm not going to say what your actions should be from here on out, but I will warn you that if you love a Time Lord, I can't guarantee that your heart will come out unscathed."

"I don't love Harry," Donna indignantly replied.

"And he didn't cause a time interference in hopes of you finding him? C'mon Donna, give me more credit. I'm a little bit smarter than that."

"He doesn't love me!"

"Well, maybe not yet. But you certainly put him in some sort of trance. I say countless times to you that you don't know the Master. He's evil to the core. Does things just for his amusement. Horrible, disgusting things. He kills humans for fun. But just in these past few days, I've been proved the exact opposite...and I don't think anybody could have garnered that reaction from him, but you."

"He's vile, just like you've said. All I did was put myself in a situation where I wasn't thinking clearly. Nothing happened between us."

"Course not."

"Jack."

"Oh, I like that. Say my name again."

"Jack-_ass_."

"Are you normally this feisty after marriage proposals?"

Grinning, Donna allowed Jack to help her up.

"Time to face the music," the time agent spoke.

Inhaling a large quantity of air, Donna gripped Jack's hand tightly before opening the door to greet everyone out in the den. Oh she was so not looking forward to this.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Give me one reason that I shouldn't kill you right now," Harry dangerously bargained.

"For starters? You and I are good friends," the woman replied casually, ignoring the lightning jumping around the Time Lord's hand.

"I've never met you before in my life."

"Not yet."

"What is that supposed to mean? You come in here, believing you're so powerful with your words and knowledge. What do you want from me? Hasn't your race made me suffer enough?"

"I'm going to tell you something that you've probably never heard before...suck it up. You're a bloody Time Lord, not a whiny two year old."

Seeing Harry retract his hand backward, the lightning firmly grasped in his palm, the woman stuck out her hands quickly.

"Alright, alright. Forgot that you're still in your power hunger phase. Let me try again. I'm a friend of Donna's. Or at least...I will be."

Unconvinced, Harry threw his hand forward and shot a lightning strike at her.

Ducking out of the way just in time, the woman glared back at the Time Lord.

"Don't believe me? The first thing Donna cured was the drumming in your head, right?"

Pausing, the blond tried to assess the situation. The woman in front of him had straight, light brown hair, that could almost be mistaken for blond. She was tall and had an attractive face, but the words coming out of her mouth, made Harry want to kill her that much more. Still, when she wasn't berating him, the things she had to say were strangely interesting.

"You have two minutes to explain."

Brushing herself off, the woman stood up to face the Time Lord with determined eyes.

"My name isn't important, and neither is my history. What's important is that you caused the time interference. Not the you I'm staring at right now, but a future you bec-."

"I didn't cause it. The Doctor did."

"Do you really think that a man like the Doctor who follows the rules and is unwilling to go back before the Time War in order to stop it, would really cause a time interference? That's a major no-no for him. Whether you want to believe it or not, you're the one that used time as a vessel and inserted yourself into that pub on Sunday night."

Ignoring his slight disbelief at the thought, even though what she'd said about the Doctor was accurate, Harry asked, "Why would the future version of me cause a time interference?"

"That, I'm afraid is a bit more complicated. Donna had a time line that she was supposed to follow. This original time line consisted of her never getting her memories back and marrying her boyfriend, Shaun Temple...did I just hear a growl?"

Harry innocently raised his eyebrows and tilted his head.

"No."

"Right...but her time line wasn't fixed. It was a major flux. See, Donna ended up meeting you in this time line, but you were a lot saner. Not necessarily as happy, or fulfilled, but definitely saner. That was because the Doctor finally caught up to you and sort of forced you to travel with him. Kind of healed you in a way over a two year span. But you weren't fully healed until you met Donna. From what I remember, I think it was a complete mistake that you two ran into each other. She was running late to work and you were running behind the Doctor, trying to get to the Tardis. You fell behind and slammed right into her. After a few words she exchanged with you...many of them being too scandalous for me to repeat, you were kind of hooked. You told me that you didn't know what it was about her upon the first meeting. Like she'd looked into your soul and back, then decided it was okay."

The familiar tingles and throbs claimed Harry's body. His hands desperately wanted to throw lightning at her, anything to make her stop the oncoming rush of emotions that he'd spent all day trying to tie down. But, it'd kill him if he didn't hear the rest of the story. So he continued listening on.

"You kind of stalked her for a bit, without the Doctor's knowledge of course. You and the Doctor ended up sharing more than just friendship, but a telepathic link. You remembered seeing Donna as one of the Doctor's companions and remembered what exactly the Doctor did to her. So it was kind of essential that the Doctor didn't know what you were up to. And remember, this was back when the Doctor believed that if Donna got back her memories, her head would explode."

"Well, after you stalked her for about two months, she kind of started noticing. Creepy blond man who followed around a married ginger? It just doesn't happen very often. One day, she was at home and noticed you outside. Came out, gave you a piece of her mind but you were kind of immune to it. In some truly bizarre twist of events, you ended up becoming friends. You two connected by a simplistic thing like weather that day. But eventually, it progressed into connecting about work and then life and then ideas, morals, standards and love. You not only realized that she was intelligent, but that she rarely backed down from a fight. Without the Doctor's knowledge and within a year, you fell in love with her. Yes, yes, I know. It's strange, isn't it? Thinking right now that you're capable of love?"

Pondering back to when Donna had told him that he wasn't capable of love, Harry felt at odds with the thought. If he wasn't capable of love, what is it that he felt for Donna then? He'd be an idiot to try to convince himself that it was just lust.

"Donna's marriage was in shambles in a year's time. Nothing to do with you of course. They just weren't very compatible. In fact, I think Shaun's mistress was more compatible for him than Donna was. Still, life went on for them as a married couple while you became increasingly depressed at the thought of not being able to have someone you loved. And then, two things happened that completely changed your life and Donna's time line. Firstly, the Doctor found out who it was that you'd been seeing. He wasn't the happiest per se, but was relieved that you hadn't revealed anything to Donna about who you really were. Yet, you were pretty angry at the Doctor. I believe you said that it was ridiculous that he could dictate who you could and couldn't see, like you were some little boy to be marched around. I think it was this action that made you more open to using a time interference."

"The Doctor trying to control what I do? Some things never change," Harry noted, backing up to sit down on the chair he'd tied Donna down on. It seemed like weeks ago.

The woman thought this was her cue to find a seat, but the distrust radiating off of Harry made her stay in place.

"And the second thing?" he asked.

"What?"

"The second thing. You said two things made want to cause a time interference. What was the second thing?"

"Ah," the woman retorted sadly. "Well, it wasn't your fault. Wasn't anybodies fault really. But one day, Donna didn't show up for work. It was at lunch that you usually took her out somewhere. When she didn't show up for lunch, you made your way to her house. Still lived in Chiswick at the time. Couldn't get onto her street though. It was sectioned off with ambulances, firetrucks, the whole nine yards."

"What happened?"

Hesitating at Harry's knowing look, the woman explained, "Donna and Shaun's house had caught fire while they were asleep. Wasn't just theirs either. Whole block was in cinders by the time morning came, but they were the only two that were casualties."

This time, the woman shook as she remembered the memory. Finding out that her best friend was dead. It stung unlike any loss she'd ever experienced.

"It sort of tore away a part of your soul. Even though you'd been partially healed by the Doctor, certain tendencies stuck with you from your "Master" days. One of those tendencies was to believe that you would always get what you wanted. Even though that's a loose interpretation in comparison to what she made you feel, it still took you a great deal of time to realize that she was actually gone."

"She died?" he asked hoarsely.

The woman nodded.

_Come on, feel joy. Feel happiness. Feel relief. Feel anything but the seething burn of loss._

But the Master's thoughts stayed rooted in unidentifiable sorrow.

"After about two months, you disappeared. Well...from me at least. We used to talk a lot and although the amount of times we spoke, decreased severely after Donna's death, you still made an effort to show up to our meetings. For two months you were gone with the Doctor. One night, your late night discussions with him traveled to the subject of old Gallifreyan time law. Through that, you rediscovered the time interference. By this point, you'd accepted that she died but you were unconvinced as to whether it was a flux or fixed moment in time. The Doctor wasn't quite clear with you when you asked. I suppose after a time, you stopped caring. So came in your plans of forging her forgotten memories, jumping back into her time line, becoming the time interference and marking the path that would lead her to you."

"Time out, time out. Let me get this straight. This future me fell in love with the Doctor's ex-companion, began a one year relationship with her, had her die, then caused a time interference in order to make sure she crossed my path? What makes you think that I wouldn't have killed her as soon as I saw her in this time? Or that she'd ever be led to me?"

"Good questions," the woman relayed thankfully. "But it's staring you in the face. Is Donna still alive?"

"Yes, but I could have kil-."

"The spark you had with her, the future version of you imagined that it was something you'd feel no matter how broken you were. Plus, he believed that you would heal from her much faster than the Doctor ever did. And much more completely."

"Didn't the Doctor continue to help me?"

"The Doctor died. It was a planet you two had just came back from and he'd eaten large amounts of Endinian croissants. Forgot that they were fatal to Time Lords. Got back to Earth, but he'd regenerated by that time. You sort of slipped away, but he didn't mind. New face, new thoughts. Last time I checked, he had two new companions named Amy and Rory. Point was, you had gathered everything you needed for this process. You had the memories fused, the abilities by the way were a substitute since no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't quite transfer the Time Lord intelligence back, and you had time at your command since you'd discovered the way you could manipulate it. All that was left was informing me of everything."

"I just tried to kill you a few minutes ago. I doubt that even a future me could get chummy with you."

"Point taken," she answered distastefully. "But that was a different time. I understood that you would have done anything for Donna and this time interference was your only chance. So you told me everything because you couldn't stick around for very long in the past. Something about if a Time Lord was to run into his self in the same regeneration..."

"Counts as a double regeneration next time. Two lives gone in one irregular time pattern," Harry finished.

"Right. So you had everything ready, went to the past, studied her for a short while, saw your opportunity at the pub and took it. Her memories were in each drink she took and thanks to you, a brand new time line was set for her. One where she not only would meet the past you and heal you in a completely different way, but she wouldn't die."

"But how could I have been sure," Harry cried indignantly, "that Donna would have ran into me? It was only by chance that she decided to find me in order to shag me. Make the Doctor feel bad. Just one idea that could or couldn't have entered her mind. It's the luckiest shot at chance I've ever seen. And if it didn't work, the time interference would have been for nothing."

The woman walked toward Harry, a grin appearing on her face.

"That's where I came in. Once you came back to my present time, you sent me backward and told me I had five days to guide Donna to you. See this is the big rubbish part. Had I know how shitty you'd end up treating her, I would have never done that. Never have threatened her boyfriend, never have bought you time on the Ood Sphere with her after delaying the Doctor and his friends on his Tardis, never had smeared her boyfriend's relationship reputation so he'd become unappealing to her, and never have planted the idea in her mind in the first place."

"It was only revenge."

"Wrong answer, Harry. In fact, I wasn't even thinking of coming here. Maybe I should just let history run its' course. Because if I put Donna into your hands again, you might actually destroy her yourself!" the woman shouted.

"Did you really expect me to just fall in love with her at first sight?"

"NO! But I thought you'd have enough honor and dignity to understand that happiness isn't out of reach for you. Because you want to know something? Something that you told me back in my time? The Doctor knew you were in love with Donna. And he knew after a while, what it was that you were planning. Guess what? He was jealous. Jealous that you were allowing yourself to have the happiness that he so often denied himself. Jealous that you were changing everything for Donna. At least that version of you didn't mope around in some abandoned house, trying to convince himself that the feelings you had weren't real. They're as real as they're ever going to get!"

By the time the last sentence escaped her mouth, the woman was breathing heavily. Her carefully brushed hair was in slight tangles. Her eyes were two carefully slit emerald moons.

"I'm sorry. I just...I hoped that you'd have a better explanation for not taking any of the chances I've gave you. Whether it was on the night that she first seduced you, or when you were at her home, or when you teleported her back here, or when she teleported with you to the Ood Sphere, and even on that last morning before you left her. But, if you decide in the end that she isn't worth it and you don't deserve the happiness she'll bring into your life, I want you to promise me that you'll never come in contact with her again. If you deny yourself happiness, I'll be damned if you deny her to have it to."

Harry sat rooted to the chair, his mind on overload with everything he'd just learned.

"I'm not leaving until I get a straight answer."

"I've got an explanation," Harry replied, his throat dry.

"For what?"

"For not having taken the chances."

"And that is?"

"I'm...scared."

Within seconds, the woman's features shifted into understanding.

"Of course. The loss of power and loving someone who could easily slip through your fingers. But fyi, it's already happened. And you know what it did to the future you? Made him stronger. So you've got some decisions to make, or maybe you've already chosen them. Whatever they are, just consider that you're feelings aren't the only ones at stake."

"She has feelings for me?"

"Well she's definitely felt something if she's put up with you for three days. Demented Donna, that's what she is."

"I don't have an answer then," Harry admitted. "And I won't for awhile. Or maybe it'll come to me in a few minutes. Or maybe a few days. Hell, it could take weeks. There is nothing I can guarantee you."

"Fine. I suppose the decision is up to me because I have one final chance to push Donna back into your path."

"How?"

"It'll all depend on what I say since I've already become friends with her in this time. I'm meeting her on Friday."

"No, I mean how did you first throw her into my path."

"Soap operas. One in particular, called Tears of My Beloved which had a very similar plot to what I knew she must be feeling. Just mentioned the right words without really saying anything. Donna isn't a vengeful demon, spent on revenge. But she does have those times where she'll turn to something, no matter how illogical it is to everyone else, in order to get peace. That's what shagging you was to her. Her own peace of mind. But of course it escalated, as it was always meant to. I did my part as best as I could and if things do work out between the two of you, I only look forward to becoming her friend again. If they don't, then the time I'll be going back to, will probably be very different."

Turning away from the Time Lord, the woman walked to the door she'd first been banging on and thought of how the conversation went. She hoped very dearly that she was able to change Harry's mind. They were so right for each other, even when neither of them saw it. And she supposed that five days wasn't really that long enough of a time to divulge every single feeling they had for each other. Still, she needed this not only for her own peace of mind, but for Harry's future self that she'd be heading back to. If he knew that things worked out back here, he'd stop blaming himself.

The woman wasn't necessarily truthful when she'd assured Harry was stronger after Donna's death. He may have been for awhile, but all of his successes and triumphs were regressing. He was starting to become the man that he was before the Doctor had finally found him.

That was another reason that it was better if Donna healed him first instead of the Doctor. Because that love was something the Time Lord wouldn't be hopeless to just stand by and watch like it had been when Donna was married to Shaun. Harry actually had an opportunity to change things and make himself happy, but he wasn't sure of who he was yet, much less his feelings.

Opening the door, the woman said a final prayer for the two.

"What's your name?" Harry asked after her.

There was a short pause as all the tenseness from the atmosphere seemed to leave the room.

"Does it matter?"

"I guess not," he finished, standing strangely still.

The woman turned around and disappeared into the night, leaving a very disgruntled Time Lord with a lot to think about.

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"I'm sorry, what?" Shaun cried in confusion.

His shocked expression was mirrored on everybody's faces in the room. Five shocked expressions that couldn't have been faked if Davros himself forced them too. Mouths open, jaws slack, and eyes bugged out.

"I said thank you, but I can't. After Jack and I first met a few years ago, we were really close. I mean really close. And then he just came back out of nowhere, offered me a job in Cardiff and we sort of reconnected again. Just a few days ago, Jack asked me to marry him and I said yes," Donna explained hurriedly, taking a hold of Jack's stunned arm.

Her blue eyes shot out desperately toward the time agent's and Jack, despite his better judgment, played along.

"Of course," Jack admitted, hugging the redhead to him with a million watt grin. "When I saw Donna again, I just realized that I couldn't live without her anymore. So after I offered her the job, I asked her to marry me."

"What?" the Doctor asked in extreme, extreme, extreme confusion.

Sylvia looked like she wanted to faint on the spot and self combust, at the same time. Wilf had an aged confusion on his features, but was in the beginning stages of understanding why exactly his granddaughter was lying about her fake marriage proposal to Jack.

"Where's your ring then?" Shaun questioned.

"Left it at the office," Donna hastily replied, turning her form in Jack's arms. "I really hope you don't mind, Jack. I know exactly where I left it and when you and I go back, I'll grab it then."

"No worries, my fiery goddess," Jack grinned back. "I'll buy you a brand new one!"

Donna nearly lost her composure when Jack leaned in and kissed her passionately on the lips. With tongue. His lips molded with hers as his tongue erotically swiped hers teasingly.

Swinging back, Jack winked at her once before glancing back up at Shaun's disbelieving form.

"Ye-yeah-yes. So this is why I can't be with you. Trust me Shaun, you and I had some great times, but it's difficult to compare to someone who you've known for a long time. Even though," Donna admitted, slightly tiffed at how easily Jack took control of the situation, "not all quantities come in a big package with this one here."

Punching Jack's arm lightly, she felt the deep rumble of his chuckle being swallowed.

"Plus, Shaun," Jack quipped lightly, "I don't know if you two have done the dirty deed, but from _personal _experience, Donna usually doesn't last long. And I think it has nothing to do with any small, quantitative, packages."

"Oh, Jack," she laughed melodiously, stepping what seemed lightly on his foot when really, it was more near painful, "don't be discouraged from your erectile dysfunction. I checked with the company again this week in Cardiff, and the product should be shipped here any time this week. It'll be perfect! At least you'll be able to get _something_ up."

The Doctor painfully closed his eyes, stuck in between a horror at the situation or amusement at the battle of words beginning to erupt in front of him. Sylvia actually began to believe that Jack suffered from E.D. and was slightly disgusted but sympathetic for him. And Wilf...well, this was probably the time where he should have stepped in to say something, but his granddaughter was on a roll. He could wait a few more minutes.

"Dear ole Donna, how I love thee," Jack announced. "So much so that you haven't even realized that I've been using the medication for the past few days. I know it's difficult to tell the difference because I don't buzz when I enter you, but I can very easily prove it."

Donna froze, turning her wicked blue eyes toward him. That's when Jack knew that she had something coming. Something big.

But in one last miraculous event, Shaun ended up interrupting before Donna had a chance to bite back.

"When's the wedding then?"

The pair shared a look before answering.

"Next week."

"Tomorrow."

Sharing a look again, the two reversed their answers.

"Tomorrow."

"Next week."

Then they both laughed like newlyweds and Donna gave him a glare that warned him to keep his mouth closed or else.

"We both thought maybe a week from tomorrow?"

"So soon?" Shaun asked.

"Yes. Well...I just don't want to lose him again," Donna replied, allowing Jack's arms to circle her from behind as his aftershave entered her nostrils.

"Okay."

"Really? You're alright with this, Shaun?" the redhead retorted in disbelief at her luck.

"Yeah, I am. But no matter what, I want to make sure that you're happy. So, you said the wedding's a week from tomorrow. Next thursday? I'll be there," he expressed, holding out his hand toward Jack's to shake.

Jack took it uncertainly, lost at the new development and just exactly how he had managed to get himself into this situation.

Pretty soon, Sylvia had ushered Shaun out the door but not before he promised to return the ring and instead, spend the money on a suit for the wedding.

Once he was gone, the room exploded.

"What were you thinking?"

"You could have told him the truth!"

"This is mad."

"I'm honored that you chose me, Donna."

"Quiet!" Donna yelled, holding her hands out in a calming manner. "Everyone, just quiet. I panicked. Honest to god, I just panicked. I couldn't explain it to Shaun that I wasn't going to marry him because I wasn't in love with him. All I kept thinking about was what would happen in five or ten years when I was still single and he and I met on the street one day. He'd give me that disappointed look, knowing I had lied about not wanting to marry him and he'd feel bad for me because I don't have a proper relationship. It just...overloaded. I'm sorry, I really am very sorry. Especially to you, Jack," Donna acknowledged.

The time agent accepted her apology then flinched as her fist swung into his arm.

"You enjoyed yourself FAR to much! And I had a bloody brilliant comeback too!"

"Trust me, I know," Jack proclaimed.

"So what do we do now?" Sylvia asked, shock still engraved within her.

"I got myself into this problem, I'm going to get myself out of it," Donna admitted.

"About time you started speaking sense," the Doctor praised.

"Right," Donna stated. "So...who here wants to help me plan a fake wedding to Captain Jack Harkness?"

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><p><strong>So while Jack's and Donna's actions and discussion may have been slightly over the top for the actual series, I'd like to think that they're both adults. They joke with each other about adult things. Plus, I've been wanting to write a scene like that between them for a very long time so I'm glad it finally happened. Anywho, new developments and such! Let me know what you're thinking in a review since I probably won't be uploading for awhile. Someone's got to get in line at 6:00 in the morning for the midnight screening of Harry Potter tomorrow and that person will be me :).<strong>


	26. A So Not Very Good Plan

**Surprise, surprise...I've uploaded a lot sooner than I thought I would. Even though not many reviewed the last chapter, I'm still kind of shocked that nobody knows who the woman is yet. I hate to say it...but I thought I gave the biggest clue as to who she was in one of her explanations. The only thing that was missing was her name. But I know you're an intelligent lot and maybe this'll inspire you to give your opinion on the matter. Anyway, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>A So Very Not Good Plan<strong>

"Donna, love, just what are you implying?" Wilf questioned.

His voice echoed abnormally in the kitchen as the occupants all listened closely to what exactly the redhead was trying to say.

Said redhead's reply was, "A small wedding. Doesn't have to be large, doesn't have to be _real_. Just...something so that Shaun believes I'm happy, then goes away."

"You can't," the Doctor spoke up. "Donna, you've got to face this head on. Tell Shaun that you don't love him before this spins out of control."

"That may be easy for you to do, but it's not for me!" she yelled.

The Doctor's face faltered in shame and Donna immediately apologized.

"I've faced so many things head on already. So many. And you know what Doctor? My head's starting to hurt from it all," Donna tried to explain gently. "Please, try to understand that I just can't tell Shaun I don't love him. He treated me well and I'm almost in debt to him for it. Probably don't expect that from me, do you? Not being able to tell a bloke to shove off?"

Hesitantly, the Doctor calmed his breaths and took in the woman before him. He knew that Donna was strong minded and normally logical. Lying to Shaun about being engaged to Jack, put a twist on things that he wasn't expecting. Still, he had to give her a break. Considering everything she'd gone through with the Master and even earlier than that with her adventures in the Tardis, the Doctor understood a little too well that maybe just this once, it was wise for him to not intervene with what was already beginning.

"Anyway, it's my decision. You can't tell me not to do it," Donna informed.

Reaffirming his beliefs, the Doctor shrugged.

"I guess I can't. You're right, you have done so much already. But I hope you know that you've got to be clever with this. Don't let the wrong person know and most certainly do not hire an actual minister."

"Why not?" Donna asked. "Jack and I are truly in love."

Said time agent took his cue and wrapped one arm around Donna.

"This will be a wedding no one will soon forget," he promised, pecking her quickly on the cheek before she decided to smack him.

"Donna! You cannot be expecting an actual wedding. I know that the Doctor and I rarely agree on things, but you are actually going to pursue this fake wedding? That's mad," Sylvia stated.

"I know. But mum, I don't love Shaun. I certainly can't tell him that. Plus, you've always been hinting at weddings. This is the perfect opportunity for you to help me arrange one," the redhead described.

Donna's mum seemed at a standstill, shaking her head in frustration while secretly wishful about planning a wedding. For a long time, Sylvia believed that Donna was never going to get properly married. Even though this was going to be a fake one, the prospect of organizing it wasn't too far out of the question. In fact, it gave her an excited glee that seemed to be missing from the household.

"Oh," Sylvia argued, seeing the determined and hopeful look on her daughter's face, "alright. I'll help you, but if you do not do this convincingly, the whole wedding will be in shambles."

"Mum...how many people are you expecting to show up?"

"Well they're Shareen and Suzette, they've got to come. Maybe you're dad's brothers. Certainly the old minister from church..."

"Small wedding, mum. Small wedding."

"Donna, this is probably the only time you'll ever get married in your life. Despite it's falsity, at least let me try to enjoy it."

Sharing a look with Wilf, Donna nodded her head in agreement.

"Right. So it's settled then. Next Thursday, Jack and I are getting married. Mr. and Mrs. Harkness. Thought I'd be dead by the time I ever had to say that," Donna mentioned nervously.

"Me too," Jack muttered light heartedly under his breath.

And so the Doctor left soon there after, insistent on sleeping inside his Tardis while Jack promised to spend the night and then head back to Cardiff in the morning to inform his team of what had happened.

"They're not going to believe me. Probably assume that I got drunk and met a girl at the alter again."

"Again?" Donna cried.

"Well, this isn't exactly the first I've been married. Certainly will be the first time I've been sober during the proceedings. Still, I think somewhere across the universe, there's a woman from the Graplier family awaiting my arrival. After the wedding, I told her I had to go to the bathroom, then teleported out of there."

"You are such a bastard."

"Maybe. But that's why we're getting married!"

Rolling her eyes, Donna thanked him for his participation in this wedding and said her goodnight.

"What? We're not sleeping in the same bed?"

"Goodnight Jack."

As soon as she entered her room, Donna sighed. What an unbelievable day it'd been. It went from sleeping with a Time Lord to getting engaged to a Time Agent. Her life was truly bizarre.

In the bathroom, Donna carefully lifted her hair off her neck. She'd been very particular about making sure that her hair stayed covering her neck. Because once shown, the purple love bites and raw red markings from Harry's teeth, were incredibly prominent.

Tracing one of them with her index finger, a slight rupture pulsed through her. It wasn't painful, and perhaps that was the problem. It reminded her of how wonderful it felt for just a second to have been pretended to be loved wholeheartedly. To be wrapped in something so much larger than herself and allowing herself to be carried away by it. Too surrender everything and not worry about the consequences later on.

But that was the problem because eventually, she got a little too carried away with it.

Closing her eyes, Donna willed her mind not to do what she'd been thinking of doing the whole day. However, her mind was a pesky little thing and allowed her thoughts to mutate into channeling her strange ability. Before she knew it, Donna was searching for the location of Harry Saxon. Just to see that he was alright, she promised herself. She'd already willed herself to forget the heartache that she'd felt in the wake of his actions. But it didn't hurt to look.

Because the drums had finally been expelled from his head, when Donna's thoughts finally channeled Harry, there wasn't a drumming that staked itself into her head. Instead, Donna clearly saw the image of the Time Lord laying on his bed, his mood seemingly contemplative.

Blushing against her will at his naked torso, she watched his sleeping form, spellbound. One of his pale hands had just begun skimming his stomach lightly, then traveled up to his chest. His other hand was underneath his head, allowing him a much resistive sleep.

_New sheets and blankets._

This observation was a bit strange to find the motive too, but she supposed that they'd just been getting worn over the years.

His face seemed healthier, but his mouth was slightly parted. Twisting once backward, his head rolled back into its normal position. It looked like he was fighting a battle.

_Hope it's not another nightmare._

Hearing her name being called, Donna rapidly disconnected the thoughts of the Time Lord and ran to open her door.

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Harry passed out shortly after the woman left, and relished silently in the dream he was having.

It was of the Ood Sphere all over again, but this time when he'd jumped Donna on the morning she woke up, he never left. They were laying in the aftermath of what had occurred, silently wrapped in each other. Both of their breaths were still ragged but their hearts were incredibly content.

Even though it was uncharacteristic of her, Donna had asked, "Do you think this will last forever?"

Smiling a smile that had been vacant from his face nearly his whole life, Harry replied, "Without a doubt."

From then on, his dream had turned vividly erotic which outwardly had the Time Lord trailing his hand over his torso. There were acts performed and places marked that even had the decency to make him blush. Especially when Donna had a look of pure joy on her face when he had-.

Throwing his head back momentarily, Harry's tongue licked at his parted, dry lips.

Then in a moment, he was wide awake and embarrassingly hot. His whole body felt like a fire had scorched it and his lower body was still acting out the actions of the dream he'd been in just a few moments ago.

Swinging his body into a sitting position, Harry aggressively ran his hands through his blond hair, agitation marring his face.

_Why isn't she leaving me?_

As in times before, Harry expected the drums in his head to answer him. They always prevented him from delving too deeply into emotions of others. They were what allowed him to kill as simply as blinking his eye.

But now, his mind was abnormally silent and he felt alone. Oh he hated those drums. Hated them more than he hated the Doctor. Yet, they had also kept him safe from forming connections with people. Kept him safe from allowing just that one extra person to live. Kept him safe from people like Donna Noble.

Laughing dejectedly into the room, Harry realized that there was no other person like Donna. She truly was able to successfully rile him up, knock him off his throne, and make him care about himself, all in one go.

So what did that mean for him? Could he realistically pursue a relationship with her? Oh that sounded so unfamiliar to his ears.

_These feelings aren't going to go away._

Now that was a thought that seemed to remain annoyingly true. What he felt for her, definitely stretched the limit on all the things he believed he could actually feel. Happiness, euphoria, surprise, need for somebody other than himself. And buried somewhere underneath all that hate which not only subjected others, but himself, was a feeling that stayed irritatingly close to him.

What he needed to know was whether his feelings were legitimate. A part of him believed they were, but the part that remained stubborn to this new man forming, was against the idea. How could so much evil and vengeance disappear within the span of a few days?

Even if these feelings he had were real, he could never get Donna to participate in another bedroom brawl.

Spasming slightly, his lower body disagreed.

Harry flung himself back into the bed, a dusty, ancient smell filling the atmosphere from the sheets. His eyes caught the teleporter from across the room, ignoring its suddenly inviting presence. What would he do with it anyway?

Thinking of Donna, a ridiculous idea suddenly made its way into his mind.

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"Mum! For the last time, I don't want this to be a big wedding," Donna yelled, watching her mother handle countless phones and phone books.

"Wonderful, thank you Charles," Sylvia commented into the phone, hanging it up. "Charles from the old Pencona Church will be more than happy to marry you two."

"You did tell him it was a fake marriage, right?"

"Huh? Oh right, of course."

Groaning, Donna stood up to get some tea.

It'd been chaotic all morning as her mum ran around the kitchen, talking to people from flowers shops and catering services. Yelling out orders or simply begging different people for their time. Summer weddings were common, but luckily for Donna, autumn was soon approaching and the amount of weddings greatly decreased in that season.

"How are we even going to afford all of this?" Donna had asked.

"I've got a secret fund for an occasion like this."

"You've got a fund in the bank just in case I got married?"

"Oh don't look so surprised. If anything, I'm more surprised that I actually get to use it."

And from then on, Donna was pretty much nonexistent. She understood that it was strenuous planning a wedding, but her mum was going overboard to say the least. All Donna needed was a minister and Shaun to be there and that would have been fine on its own. But no, her mum said they had to go all out or else Shaun would suspect something was up.

"How are things going?" the Doctor asked, sneaking into the kitchen.

"It's a nightmare. All of bloody Britain is going to know I'm having a wedding!"

"Hate to say it, but I told you so."

"And I'd hate for you to suddenly not be able to breathe."

Their sparring was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell and Sylvia yelling at Wilf to get it.

A shriek erupted from the hallway and the sound of someone rushing, met their ears.

"How could you not tell me that you were getting married?" Joan screeched, her doe brown eyes bugging out. "And not to Shaun!"

"I-it just sort of came out of the blue."

"I heard he's American. When did you have a fling with an American?"

The Doctor scratched uncomfortably behind his ear while Donna smiled at Jack's heritage.

"Oh you know American men. They'll touch anything that's foreign," Donna commented as the Doctor cleared his throat.

Joan laughed as she took in the man next to her.

"A bit too skinny for my liking, but I'll admit, he's got looks," she observed.

The Doctor and Donna glanced at each other and then put their arms up in protest.

"No, no. We're not-."

"She and I aren't. Never-."

"We're not getting married," they both replied in unison.

"Oh," Joan responded. "Good. He might get blown away in the wind during the reception."

Laughing, Donna gave the Doctor an apologetic look before he gravitated out of the kitchen to find Wilf.

"So when do I get to meet this Captain Jack Harkness?"

"Captain? Why do you say that?"

"It's on your invitation! Honestly Donna, haven't you looked at it yet?" she replied, pulling out a crumpled piece of manila paper.

In silver and crimson writing the invitation read :

_You are cordially invited to the wedding of a lifetime between  
>Captain Jack Harkness and Donna Noble.<br>It will be held on Cross Corner Hill, just off the coast of Tegan Bay  
>on September 3, 2011.<br>This invitation permits you to bring a plus one and we only hope  
>that you come with the sole intention of watching two people<br>marry to their heart's content._

Closing her eyes briefly, Donna inhaled then exhaled.

_Mum is fast, I'll give her that. _

But it still all seemed to be rushing at her so fast. Like an avalanche heading down a massively tall mountain, only picking up momentum as more snow joined it.

"Mum forgot to show me what the invites looked like," Donna explained, giving her friend a convincing glance.

"Nevertheless, it's so romantic! Cross Corner Hill hasn't had a wedding there in over half a century."

"Cause of everyone falling into the bay?"

"No. The last couple to get married there were back from 1940. Beginnings of World War Two. As in love as they were, the whole party couldn't dodge a surprise German plane that attacked during the day. Killed the whole lot of them. Horrible story and people tended to stay away from the hill, despite it's beauty, for a long time. Suppose it brought too much heartache and superstition."

"Forgot about that. Well, there's a first time for everything."

"Is it the blond then?"

"What?"

"The blond guy at the bar? Is that who you're marrying?"

"No! Why'd you think that?"

"He looked like he was in love with you."

"Every man who drank, looked like they were in love with me."

"He was different."

"Wouldn't know," Donna hastily explained, "haven't seem him anywhere. But Jack is different. He's got this great brown hair, dresses a bit too arrogantly for my liking, but I'm willing to forgive him, and he's incredibly generous when the purpose calls for it. He's perfect."

"A perfect man in London? Now I know you're leading me on."

Ushering Joan to the kitchen table, Donna retorted, "It is a bit sudden, but I'm sure about it."

"Might end badly though. Remember the last time you attempted to marry someone from work?"

"Unfortunately," Donna mumbled, remembering Lance. "But I'm telling you, Jack is the guy for me."

"I'll believe it when I see it," Joan replied.

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Ianto Jones stared at Gwen Cooper and then back at Jack Harkness in shock.

"You're what?"

His voice came out squeakier than he meant for it to, but his disbelief was just as strong.

"Married. Well, fake married. But you can't tell anybody. She's trying to get rid of another guy, gently."

"And you're participating in this?" Gwen asked in amusement.

"It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. But I don't mind," Jack explained, taking in his two stunned workers with glee.

"But you'll be sober!" Ianto mentioned.

"Yep."

"Wow...must be a great girl," Gwen remarked.

"One of the best," Jack said with a wink. "Which is why you two are coming back with me for the wedding. Might not be real, but you two deserve a vacation from Torchwood."

"Thought I'd never hear you say that," Ianto noted, turning away to shut down the Torchwood equipment.

"Oh c'mon, I give you guys breaks," Jack argued. "Right?"

Ianto left the room with a grin as Jack's blue eyes turned to Gwen in despair.

"Gwen?"

Following Ianto's lead, she left the time agent alone in the room with a smile.

"And to think that I pay you guys for this!" Jack exclaimed.

"You don't!" were the replies from the other side of the room.

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"Oh my god," Mickey shouted. "Martha, come here."

"What? What is it?" she replied, jogging through the kitchen to meet him.

Mickey handed the invitation he'd found in the mail this morning, to Martha.

Reading carefully, Martha gasped. She threw her eyes up at Mickey who mirrored her expression.

"No way!"

Mickey nodded in agreement.

"I mean," Martha retorted, "what the hell could have happened after we left?"

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><p><strong>Inch by inch, things are moving along. Let me know what you're thinking in a review ;).<strong>


	27. Gone!

**Thanks for the reviews. I only hope that this chapter clears up a lot of lingering issues while setting forth others. Just an fyi, and I'm mad at myself for doing this, but from here on out, I'm going to be rushing this story. It was a decision I made last night, and even though I'd love to really be overly descriptive and embrace a character's feelings and thoughts, I can't. It's weird how I came to this conclusion, but I've got to end this story as soon as I can because it's literally draining me when I write it. I think about taking a break, but I want to get this done by summer and I don't know when inspiration will hit again.I hope that doesn't stop you from reading it. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Gone!<strong>

"I hate Thursdays," Donna muttered to the Doctor, her red hair flying in the brief exhalation.

"Could be worse," he commented, playing with a strand of string on his brown, pinstriped suit.

"Really?" the redhead exclaimed, referring to the day's events.

Sometime around noon, her mum had informed her that at least 100 people were coming to the wedding, maybe more. When Donna tried to reason with her mum to split the number in half, Sylvia pretended not to hear her.

"And your wedding dress! When are you going to shop for it? I know this great place off of Mainder Street. Why not search for it there?"

"Mum, for the last time, you've got to slow everything down. We've still got a week to plan everything out and you know that I don't need expensive flowers or the tastiest cake."

"Donna, just let me do a mother's natural born job. I haven't supported you often in your travels with the Doctor, much less after you got your memories back. This is my gift to you."

There was no arguing with her from then on, so Donna allowed everything to be taken care of.

Sometime around two that afternoon, Martha and Mickey had barged into the house and demanded explanations for the invite they'd received.

"We thought you were joking or something. Completely mental," Mickey exclaimed.

"Yeah," Donna started, "well, you see what happened was..."

Neither pair could quite believe what her lie had accumulated to and were both surprisingly angry that they missed out on it.

By the time five o clock rolled around, Donna was exhausted from taking phone calls regarding her upcoming nuptials, what gifts to bring, how many extended family members could be invited, and whether she was actually getting married this time.

"I swear, if that phone rings one more time, I'm going to bludgeon it to death," Donna dangerously muttered.

The phone ended up staying silent, but Donna's mind strayed suddenly to a thought. Back at the Ood Palace, Ood Rho had asked for an invitation to the wedding. Is this what he meant?

_Could have told me!_

But she supposed that that's how the Ood worked. They were overly hospitable but undeniably enigmatic.

"Doctor, can I ask you something?" Donna questioned, pulling the man to the side who had just begun to divulge into banana cream pie.

"Mmm...yes?" he retorted, licking the banana cream off of his index finger and then grinning at the taste.

"Before I left the Ood Sphere, I went over to Ood Rho to say my goodbye. He then told me...that he only wished to be repaid with an invite to the wedding. It's not...weird that he knew that, is it?"

"No, I suppose not," the Doctor replied thoughtfully. "They are a race that rarely divulges their secrets. How could they? To do so would interfere with destinies and time lines. But they certainly make you think about your future."

"Could we go and give him an invitation?"

"Don't see why not," he answered, sucking the rest of the cream down his throat.

"What is it with you and that thing?" Donna bluntly questioned, referring to the pie.

"I forgot you don't know. I ah...I really like bananas," he grinned.

Rolling her eyes, Donna set back to drinking her tea.

As evening hit and she found herself in her current position, sitting at the table with the Doctor, Donna began to think over what had occurred the whole week.

"Tomorrow," chirped the Doctor, "we'll go to the Ood Sphere."

"Thank you," she exhaustively mumbled, waving goodbye to him.

On Monday morning, Donna had woken up with her memories. On Tuesday morning, she had snuck out of an evil Time Lord's bed after shagging him. On Wednesday morning, said evil Time Lord snuck out of her bed, and left after making love to her. Thursday morning, she was helping plan a wedding to Jack Harkness.

When did everything escalate into this? All she'd wanted was to make the Doctor see how much he'd hurt her. She certainly didn't want to indulge in more affairs with Harry or have feelings bloom out of the precarious relationship she had with him.

Were they always meant to collide like this?

_No, I doubt it. That's why there was a time interference._

That bothered her most of all. Not knowing why exactly the future version of Harry would have come back to cause the time interference. Sure the Doctor speculated on it, half of him convinced it was an evil ploy and Harry had gotten what he wanted already. The other half, and less talked about idea was that he wanted her to meet him. But why? She certainly hadn't made the Time Lord's life any easier. Annoyed him, pestered him, punched him. If this future version of Harry knew what Donna was like, why on Earth would he put his past self through that?

Oh but that question piqued something else in her brain. Something that was a realistic answer, but Donna just couldn't reach it. Perhaps the answer was delayed due to her weary state of mind or maybe she didn't just quite want to know just yet.

Walking slowly up the stairs, Donna watched as her mum still raced about the kitchen, picking out the ideal boutiques and posh wines at eleven o clock in the night. She really had done so much for her, and that was a great feeling knowing that her mum did love her. It was disappointing though, that the wedding wasn't real. Just for her mum to be proud of something. Of someone. Of a daughter that seemed more lost in this house with her feelings, than found.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Shit! Oh shit!" Donna cried, pushing apologetically past the newly arrived Jack, to get to the kitchen.

Sylvia sat at the kitchen table, exhausted with her efforts but happy with the results so far. The wedding was coming along nicely. She jumped slightly when her daughter rushed in, panic swiping her features.

"What? What is it? Is something wrong with the wedding? Does Shaun know it's a fake? Oh say something already," she shouted.

"No," Donna rushed, "it's not that. But I need to know, did you manage to catch the latest episode of 'Tears of My Beloved' last night on the telly?"

"You're worried about a soap opera? My god, you really are inheriting the best parts of me."

"Just answer the question."

Sighing, Sylvia peered at the clock that indicated just a little too loudly for her ears, it was finally noon, and replied, "No. Couldn't even sit down last night what with all of the calls and arrangements. Why?"

Hurrying down the hallway, Donna swiftly grabbed her purse and combed down her wet hair in a mirror.

"Where are you heading off to?" the Doctor asked friendly as Donna opened the door and jumped at his sudden appearance.

"Meeting with a friend. Shouldn't be gone too long."

"Alright. We'll be leaving in about forty five minutes. Make sure you get here-," he replied, watching her sprint down the steps, "on time."

"Where's she going?" Sylvia questioned from the hallway.

"I have no idea," the Doctor muttered.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"I am so sorry. I've been incredibly preoccupied with plans and people and thoughts that-."

"Donna, it's fine. At least you made it," Vanessa grinned, sitting on the same bench that Donna had first met her on.

"Right," Donna replied, taking a seat, "doesn't help that I didn't get to seeing last night's episode. I've been, no joke, incredibly busy."

"Oh please, it's completely fine. This only means I've got a lot to tell you about," Vanessa informed, gesturing her head to the telly in front of them.

"Does Victor get Angelica back?" Donna inquired, setting her blue eyes on Vanessa's green ones.

"You'll see. I think people expected the ending to be more...anti-climactic perhaps considering all these typical soap operas end so...typically?"

"What happened?"

"Well, Victor ended up calming his jealous rage and decided on staying with his wife. That is until he finds out that Colin proposes to Angelica."

Understanding exactly who in her personal life, was actually related to a soap character, Donna gasped at the proceeding.

"But that's not all. Angelica says no of course, but then finds out that Colin held more feelings for her than previously thought. Real, _honest _feelings," Vanessa punctuated, raising a meaninful brow. "So Colin and Victor end up in this tussle in the court room, punching the crap out of each other. It finally stops when Colin admits to Angelica of his love and she, to everyone's surprise including mine which had me spill the wine I'd been drinking all over the bloody white carpets, accepts his love. Just goes to show how strange love can be."

"Hm," Donna stated, "I was expecting somebody to die."

"Maybe the hearts of all the fans who really wished Victor and Angelica would have ended up together, did."

"Why should they be upset? Sometimes the bloke might not have the greatest reputation, but if it's real love, why shouldn't they end up together?"

Somewhat surprised at her own words and slightly confused at the thought that it might have a double meaning, Donna turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Wow...seems like that came from experience," Vanessa mentioned after a moment.

"No, not really," Donna related softly.

For the next half hour, the two sat and chatted away about London attractions, the newest shops, and who was dating who in the social world. Donna remained politely detached to the topic of love since for some reason, thoughts of a certain blond man would pop up randomly in her mind. She tried battling him out with spunk and heavy blows but he only took them in calmly with an arrogant supremacy on his face. You could say that Donna really hated Harry right then and there, even though realistically, he hadn't done anything.

"So you said you were really busy," Vanessa informed. "Can I help with anything?"

"Nah," Donna easily laughed, glancing at her watch, "it's a bit of a mental affair."

"Mental affairs? You really live an exciting life, Donna."

"Not like that," she laughed, rising from her spot, "but I do have to get going. I'm expected back in a few minutes."

"Oh," Vanessa stated, straightening her peach colored suit, "well, I'm so glad to have had this talk with you. And every other one that I've had. You are really an amazing person."

"Why does this sound like it's a goodbye? Are you going somewhere?"

Donna's concerned questions only made Vanessa smile regretfully.

"Yes. I've got a new job that's going to have me relocate immediately. Too bad since I'd just gotten settled in," she admitted.

"Well," Donna sighed, hugging the caramel haired girl who shakily stood up, "you are a phenomenal friend. Don't ever forget that."

Vanessa hugged Donna tighter, her eyes filling up with tears.

"Hey, don't cry," soothed Donna, noticing red splotches appearing underneath Vanessa's eyes.

"Sorry," she laughed, "it's just...a stress and a pain when you finally settle somewhere you like and meet people that would probably have been your best friends for life."

"We're going to meet again though. I know we are," Donna stated firmly. "I've got a friend who'll take me anywhere. All you have to do is call me up and let me know where you are and I'm there."

"Thank you."

"When do you have to leave?"

"Really, really soon."

"Oh. See I've got this thing next week," Donna suddenly began, rummaging through her purse, "and if you're interested in coming, I'd really appreciate it."

Vanessa quirked an eye amusingly, taking the piece of paper that Donna had given her.

"I'm getting married. Next Thursday at Cross Corner Hill. If you're still around by then, I'd love for you to come."

The other woman stood shock still, the tears dissipating in rapid speed as her lips parted. Then, she glanced up at Donna with a wild expression.

"You're getting married? You're getting married to Jack?" she disbelievingly whispered.

"Yeah," Donna noted, "do you know him?"

"No. Just that...really? Married? So soon?"

"It just sort of happened. Anyway, I've got to get going. I'd love for you to make it and if you can't, I'm going to track you down and force my presence onto you," Donna promised, gathering her purse.

"Right. I'll um...I'll see what happens with work," Vanessa retorted, finding her friend's eyes once more.

"Promise we'll see each other again?"

Smiling, Vanessa nodded her head.

"Of course."

With that, Donna took off running down the street, intent on getting home before the Doctor left without her.

Vanessa meanwhile, stared down at the invitation in horror.

In seconds, she had ran to her car, hopped in, and began driving towards Willow Street. It was a fifteen minute drive and she had to maneuver around a lot of traffic before finally getting to the dispersed and rundown area.

Slamming down on the breaks aggressively, Vanessa turned off the car and watched in somber panic as her left hand began to disappear.

"Not bloody yet," she muttered determinedly to herself.

Throwing open the door, Vanessa broke into a run down the grimy street. On each side of her, the empty homes seemed to represent the ticking's of a clock, calling at her to hurry up before it was too late. To get to her destination or everything she'd done up to that point, would have been in vain.

By the time that the familiar house came into view, her knees were slowly losing their visibility as well as her torso.

"Just a few more feet," she firmly pleaded, breaking into a full sprint. Very impressive considering she was wearing a suit.

Nearly crying with relief, Vanessa bounced the remaining steps up to the house and began pounding erratically on the door, the invitation clasped tightly in her fist. However, the poundings stopped after a few seconds as the fist, along with the whole hand, disappeared as well.

Vanessa tried to say something, anything, but her voice only allowed a few gentle squeaks before leaving altogether. Allowing a stray tear to meander down her cheek, Vanessa said one last prayer before finally disappearing back to her own time.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

The wedding invitation laid half covered by a green leaf. It somehow managed to slide underneath in it's trajectorial fall. Both crimson and silver colors were left covered by green, but the manila corner stuck out somewhat conspicuously.

When Harry heard the pounding at his door, and when he recognized just who exactly it was, he ignored it. He wasn't in the mood for figuring out his feelings and most certainly wasn't in the mood for being insulted again.

However, he did find it odd that they stopped so soon. Against his better judgment, the blond walked to the door, pressed his ear up to it, and when he heard nothing, swung it open.

Nobody was there, but a gust of woodsy lemon greeted his nostrils.

With one foot, Harry carefully stepped out and scoured the street. Everything appeared the same with the garbage truck having passed two hours ago. The wind was oddly calm and the sun was appearing behind some receding clouds.

The Time Lord glanced once more at the scenery before stepping back inside and slamming the door. His foot had been only a millimeter away from the invitation that laid partly covered by the leaf. Had he stepped on it, there was no doubt that he would have felt it and looked down at the curious thing.

Yet, his foot landed _by_ it and through that action, Harry remained completely oblivious as to what was currently being planned inside the Noble household.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Forgot how bloody jerky this thing can be," Donna shouted, her body slamming backwards into one of the seats inside the Tardis.

"Yeah, favorite part. Don't you just love it?" the Doctor exclaimed jubilantly as the Tardis hummed its approval at his gentle ministrations.

"What's Jack doing by the way? I keep forgetting to check in on my fiance," she asked.

"He's...the funky! He's trying to track down the call number for it."

"Can't let it go, can he?"

"No, he can't. Hold on, this is going to be a rough one!"

The shake of the Tardis nearly made Donna lose her footing.

Finally, their destination was reached and the Doctor excitedly ran to the door.

"Doctor," Donna called.

He paused before opening the doors, turning puzzled eyes toward her.

"You're...unnaturally elated about traveling. I mean, you can eat all the banana cream pie you want, but you miss this," Donna explained. "That's why I'm sorry that this situation I dragged you into, turned into you staying at Earth for a long time period of time. You live the life of a traveler and explorer, saving planets and rescuing civilizations. You don't ever sit still on one planet for too long. If you really want to-."

"Donna," the Doctor began, "I trusted you enough to give you my name. Remember it?"

"Theta."

"Yes. When we're alone, I want you to call me that, okay?"

Inhaling a great breath, Donna asked, "Are you sure? It doesn't bring up memories about...home?"

"It does, but I want you to know that Earth is a second home to me. When it comes to being with some of the greatest friends I've ever had, you can't expect me to stay away for too long. Besides, I've learned in these past few days that there comes a time when mourning has to end in order for happiness to begin."

Donna grinned at his sincerity, nodding her head at his statement.

"Together?" he asked, extending his hand.

"Together," she replied, placing hers into his.

Together the two opened the doors of the Tardis and were shocked at what they saw.

"Ood Rho?" Donna asked, seeing the Ood in front of the Tardis.

He looked like he'd been expecting their arrival for quite some time. How he knew where and when they would be arriving, was what shocked Donna.

"How do you tell him apart from the rest of them?" the Doctor whispered into her ear.

"Well...he's the one that has the red/brown-ish bowtie with the polka dots on it. Does wonders to his complexion."

"Welcome Donna Noble and Doctor," Ood Rho replied, stepping forward.

The Doctor allowed himself to be dragged to the Ood who watched them with an expression of curiosity, or what looked like curiosity since Donna didn't fancy herself an Ood expert.

"We brought you this," Donna exclaimed, handing the invitation to him.

Ood Rho's eyes lit up and Donna smiled back at the Doctor in thanks.

"I also have something to give you. I was said to give it to you upon your arrival back here," Ood Rho described, pulling out a white envelope from his pocket.

Inquiringly, Donna took the envelope and stared at the cover. It read her name in thick, black, smudgy letters.

"Do you mind?" Donna softly asked the Doctor.

"Not at all," he answered, stepping back as she tore open the envelope.

The rest of the writing was thankfully easier to see as Donna's eyes began to read :

_**Dear Donna,**_

_**I very much hope that the Ood have kept their promise and you have received this letter. I didn't know what planet you hailed from or what century so, I could only rely on the last planet you were at, to have the inhabitants of it, give you this letter. It's Maddy, from the feasting room you met a few nights ago, writing here. My grandpa was Bentley McAvoy. Your Lee. **_

_**I am much saddened to tell you that a day after arriving on the planet Zaria, grandpa suffered a final heart attack and died shortly thereafter. Despite it being tremendously difficult on his heart, I think he went away peacefully. I was there as he closed his eyes and you were the last name he said before he passed.**_

_**The vacation is being cut short in order to return him home where I can help plan funeral arrangements with my family. My only wish is that you try to attend the funeral because you meant so much to him and made him the wonderful man that he was. That he is. **_

**_Of course if you're busy, it's completely fine. Depending on whether you get this letter and on what day, I've already decided for the funeral to be held on Monday of next week. It's a bit soon, but on our planet of Nuevo Las Vegas, we mourn a person quickly just so we can celebrate their life afterward. _**

**_Nuevo Las Vegas is located in the Sandking Constellation of the Universe Embrosia. We're not hostile and when a death strikes us, our whole planet mourns. _**

**_Thank you for reading this and I only hope to see you there._**

**_Sincerely,_**

**_Maddy Laine  
>Embrosia<br>Sandking Constellation  
>Nuevo Las Vegas, 5073<em>**

"Oh," Donna loosely whispered, tears gathering in her eyes as the letter slipped through her quivering hands.

Noticing her reaction, the Doctor wrapped his arms around the redhead, embracing her shaking form as his eyes glanced down at the upturned letter.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he whispered into her hair, hugging her tighter.

Donna continued crying, wondering how it was fair to have to attend the funeral of the man she loved and wedding of a man she only cared for, in the same week.

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><p><strong>Yeah, so the descriptions and actions kind of go to s*it, but at least I'm getting out what the rest of the plot twists are. Let me know what you're thinking in a review.<strong>


	28. Reflections of the Insecure

**Wow, only 2 reviews for the last chapter? That's when I know I definitely screwed up with writing. Ah well, it just kinda is. Thank you to those 2 who did review though. This next bit here is a sort of reflection chapter so do with it what you will. Anywho, I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><strong><strong>Reflections of the Insecure<strong>**

The sound of the Tardis returning her back home was what finally made Donna decide to dry off her cheeks.

"Sure you're alright?" the Doctor asked softly.

Smiling through the newly developed wound she felt, Donna replied, "Yeah. I mean I should have guessed it'd be ending soon. His life that is. But it's still a bit unexpected. Like if...if you'd met the future, aged version of Rose. I know this probably can't compare, not really. But if you did and then got a letter about her death. You knew it was coming and you knew they lived a good life. Still, it doesn't prepare you for actually accepting it."

"Don't think it's incomparable. Everybody's pain is different and they grieve in their own way. My pain is no greater than yours."

"Thanks," she commented, standing up from her seat.

The rides back home seemed a lot less bumpy and out of control than trips from home. She'd suspected awhile back that the Doctor might have done that on purpose, to add to the effect of actually teleporting from place to place in order to enthrall whichever passenger he had. But on those rare occasions, the Tardis was just as out of control as the Doctor made it.

Whatever the actual story behind it was, Donna was only thankful that the ride back went smooth and uncompromisable since it was the exact opposite of what she was feeling.

"I don't want to go to the funeral," she suddenly announced.

Swinging his head up, the Doctor answered, "No? Well...I can't force you to go. But personally...I think you need to. I am the prime example of never letting pain go. Even to this day, I still think of Gallifrey and all that I could have done rather than force genocide upon my own race, among others. I twist it and turn it and try to see it from a different angle. Problem is, it's done. I certainly won't ever go back to it and thinking about it only keeps that pain fresh in my mind. And that...that's the nasty part about it because when pain like that hits us, we can't help but think it's our fault. In some way, I think this is true to any race among the universes. We all believe we can change things, even if they've already happened. Once that pain hits us, we're so reluctant to let it go. So we make sure we suffer and hurt and become bitter and cold as a result. Because if we were to forget it, that would mean we wouldn't think we deserved to go through the pain. It would mean forgiving ourselves and we're not exactly sure if we're ready to do that."

"Doctor, I-."

"Please, you know what to call me when we're alone."

"Theta..., that sounded weird," Donna remarked. "I don't know if I can face it. Face the man who made my life absolutely brilliant. Face the life I could have had."

"If there's anyone that I believe can do it, it's you Donna. You persevere through the toughest of times and have truly changed me into a better person."

"Now I know old age is getting to you," she laughed.

Upon seeing the Doctor's serious expression, Donna's smile faltered.

"Don't be daft. You've helped me progress so much already. There's no comparison."

"Then don't compare it. Anyway, that might have been true the first time around with our adventures, but certainly not this time. This time, I'm the one that's growing and...are you okay?"

Donna's lips were parted and her eyes had strayed upward, her mind rapidly trying to process a key thought that had hit her as the Doctor was talking. Something not just important, but rudimentary in a problem she had once had no answer to.

"Oh my god," Donna stated, "Harry."

"What? Harry Potter?"

The look the Doctor received could have melted an ice cap.

"The Master?"

"No, bleedin' Ron Weasley. Of course "the Master"!" the redhead indignantly expressed. "I think I might have an idea as to why the future version of him, put me into his path."

"Ah," the Doctor embarrassingly laughed, "I'm all ears then."

"Well, it all had to do with what you said. We keep on believing that this future version of Harry is some sort of mental, evil Time Lord. That he only used the time interference for his own cruel needs. Now I'm wondering whether we have this all wrong. Whether the future Harry isn't that at all."

"I'm trying to keep up."

"Okay. You just told me that your time with me in just the past few days, have made you a better person. Perhaps not a complete transformation since you were a pretty good person to begin with, but maybe I helped you let go of emotions that you'd been struggling to end for a long time. Now...apply that kind of healing to someone like Harry. I mean, I know I didn't do much, but I rid him of his drums, formed an emotional bond to him, shagged him two times, gained his trust enough for him not to kill me, and we almost sort of became...friends? Nah...that sounds a little too personal. But maybe not. I did enter his mind and that must mean that he hadn't been hostile enough to keep his defenses up around me."

"So you're trying to say that the future Master made sure you ran into his past self in order for you to heal him?"

"Oi, don't give me that look!"

"Look? What look?"

"That "are you out of your bloody mind, Donna?" look."

"I have no such thing."

"In a few minutes, you won't."

"Alright, alright! Continue your theory."

"Right. Since you're telepathically linked to him and at times, can sense his emotions, have you felt anything out of the ordinary these past few days? Anything that was so unlike him that it made you wonder whether he was a different person."

Thoughtfully, the Doctor closed his eyes and sighed. He knew eventually that Donna would come to this conclusion, and he thought of how much to reveal to her. She'd been so generous and kind to him already that not divulging into real matters, seemed unthinkable. But the emotions the Master had felt in the past few days, even had the decency to alarm the Doctor.

"The first night you two...well, consummated."

"Oh don't make it sound like it was a bloody heart transplant!"

"Sorry. The first night you two...shagged. That was?"

"Monday night."

"Okay. Now that was the night that I felt something...off about his emotions. They were more jubilant. Except, I don't even think that's the right word for it. He just pulsed happiness and bliss. Never ending waves of it for minutes straight before the connection was severed."

"Really?" Donna mumbled.

"Yes."

"When was the next time you felt a flurry of emotions from him?"

Running a hand through his brown hair, the Doctor closed his eyes and tried to recall Wednesday's sudden invasion of emotions.

"Wednesday."

"Morning, afternoon, or night?"

"It was the morning?"

"And...what did you sense?"

Hesitantly, the Doctor didn't meet Donna's eyes that were becoming more animated and frantic by the minute.

"Theta, what did you sense?"

"Pain and anguish. Sorrow so deep, so unheard of that it rivaled my own. A feeling of such misery that I struggled to digest it."

"Well...it's not like I abused him or something. I don't get off like that."

Laughing, the Doctor shook his head.

"No, I don't think it was that."

Finding herself suddenly at a loss of words from the new information, Donna fought against the blush that suddenly wanted to make its way forward. Days later and Harry still seemed to put her off balance.

"Assuming that his pain was from..."

"You can say it, Donna."

"I don't know if I quite believe it."

"Then I'll say it. Assuming that his pain was from leaving you alone in that bed and fighting all the conflicting emotions you'd brought up in him..."

"I brought up in him?"

"That's what you were going to get to eventually, right?"

"Yes. So he feels all of these new emotions that he'd never felt before. I changed him...in my own way."

"Do you think so?"

Donna bit her lip, suddenly backtracking on her and Harry's past few days together. It seemed incredible not only that she was still alive, but that she could garner such a revolutionary alteration in him. Could it be for the better? Is that why the future Harry set her into his path?

"Yes, I do. If you had this shift in feelings, then I think the future Harry had also. Perhaps a bit more severely and drastically since he believed that me changing him had to occur sooner than it had originally happened."

"Well, Miss Noble. I do believe we might have just solved part of a mystery."

"But do you really think so? It seems logical and illogical at the same time."

"And those are the best types of conclusions," he laughed, pulling the redhead into his embrace.

After a moment of hugging, something Donna realized that she'd been doing a whole lot of lately, she said, "I'll go then. I'll go to Lee's funeral. But...you've got to promise to come with me. I don't know if I can handle it on my own."

"Course I will," he muttered into her hair. "Planet Nuevo Las Vegas in the Sandking Constellation of the universe Embrosia. Not always called Sandking Constellation, mind you. For many years, it was the Sandstar Constellation. But then the star that the constellation was named after, burst, sending shock waves powerful enough to alter the complete position of the constellation. Most powerful star burst in history, to this date. Changed the constellation name after a king of sorts, discovered the shift in setting. Bernard Applicus, his name was."

"How come it's not called Bernard's constellation or Applicus's constellation?"

"I suppose he wasn't a selfish man. Plus, sounds a bit too close to Barnard's star. Now he was a selfish individual, despite what the public thought of him."

Stepping away from him, Donna asked, "Any plans yet on where you're going to take gramps yet? Despite all you've said about it, I don't want you to take him to Zaria."

"Brings up bad memories?"

"No...it just has a knack for providing heart attacks to old men."

Laughing against his own will, the Doctor contemplated thoughtfully.

"Well, there's Vjolska. Only planet to successfully have two moons and one sun, appearing at the same time, everyday. Or Taberu, the planet of solitude and wanderings. If you're an old soul or have got an adventurer's heart, it's the planet for you. I've honestly got tons to choose from."

"And what about...Harry? How many planets are you and gramps going to see before you get back to pursuing him."

"I'm not going to."

"What?" Donna sputtered in confusion.

"You were the one that made me realize it. The subtle shift in the Master's personality. I think he's changing because of you and I think it's for the better. It's certainly taking place more rapidly than I could ever have done."

"Yeah right."

"No, really. Remember that argument we had...I think it was Tuesday afternoon, a few minutes before I kissed you? You asked me that if I ever got a hold of the Master, what would I do with him? Cart him around in my Tardis, waiting for some sort of change to occur? It's not until now that I realize how accurate you were on that statement."

"But Doc-Theta. What if I'm wrong? What if he's just as malevolent and evil as ever? I've just endangered a lot of people by telling you that it's okay not to go search and restrain him."

"If the Master really wanted to, I think he could have taken over Earth a hundred times over. He's absolutely brilliant, always was. And I think he was destined for change, especially after finding out that the drums in his head were put in there by his own race. I think he was stuck on progressing any further than perhaps sparing the lives of humans. You might have been the essential second step in further changing him. You might be the last step."

"So...what do I do? If I'm the change that he's been looking for, do I stick around him? No offense but that's not exactly something I'm going to jump for joy at doing. I'm always living in that fear in the back of my mind, he's going to decide to kill me one of these days."

"No, I think the best thing right now is to leave him be. One of the greatest things about you Donna is that you don't even know it when you're changing somebody. It always comes as a shock to you. Beneath all that exterior of tough attitude, the fact that you heal other people, still surprises you."

"Well shouldn't it surprise anybody? The actions we take reflect us, right?"

"Yep."

"Since I shagged Harry, what does that reflect upon me?"

"You've got bad taste in men."

"Oi, coming from the man who was going to be married to a princess with junk below her trunk?"

"It was just that one time."

"Whatever."

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"Welcome back!" Jack exuberantly yelled, extending his arms.

Laughing, Donna ran into his hug and held on tight, remembering just exactly why pain was bubbling in her.

The Doctor meanwhile was getting associated with Gwen and Ianto, discussing how uncannily right they were for each other in a certain way.

"At first when he told us, I thought he'd finally gone of the deep end," Ianto pointed out, watching the couple embrace each other. "Then I hear from Donna's mum how they get along very nicely and seeing them like this...well, it makes you wonder if there are more feelings buried inside them than meets the eye."

"Oh hush," Gwen chided, "you just want something gossipy to talk to Travis and Lily about. I knew they'd grow on you."

Ianto denied all further statements, blushing an embarrassed red as the Doctor took in their festivity in silence.

"There definitely is something odd in their relationship. Something that makes them oddly right for each other, in a way. But then again, Jack isn't exactly a one woman kind of guy, is he?"

"No," the Torchwood duo agreed.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked, feeling the stiffness in which she hugged him as well as the just a little bit tighter than necessary, grip she held on him.

Debating on whether to inform Jack about Lee, Donna decided why not. Eventually, they'd all have to know where it was that she and the Doctor would be leaving to on Monday.

"A man I loved once, died. I met him during my travels with the Doctor, four years ago. There was this...sort of reality that we were a part of," Donna explained, meeting Jack's eyes. "In that reality which wasn't really a reality at all, ironic sort of name, I met this man named Lee. I fell in love with him, married him, and had two children with him. Of course come to find out that the whole reality was part of a computer's mind. We'd all been saved from the Vashta Nerada inside the main system. I didn't think he'd been real since I didn't find anybody afterward with the name Lee. Worst part was that I promised to find him. Well, about a few days ago when I was on the Ood Sphere, I found him. Only...he wasn't young. It was a very aged future version of him and as you can guess, his time was nearing."

"But," Donna paused, thinking of the wisdom and love his eyes had showed, "I'm glad I got to see him one last time, you know? Kind of let me know that things were okay."

"I'm so sorry," Jack earnestly replied, hugging Donna again and allowing her fingers to clench on tightly to him.

"Thank you. While Thet-the Doctor and I," Donna corrected herself, "were at the Ood Sphere just now, I got an invite for his funeral. I'm going on Monday with the Doctor."

"Do you want me to come along?" he asked, and the concern on his face just made Donna's heart clench all the more.

"No, as it isn't necessary. I behave enough like a child around you, no need for you to see me crying like one either."

"Donna, I hope you know that crying isn't a sign of weakness. In fact, it's one of the strongest things you can do for yourself. Instead of destroying things or wreaking havoc with words or blaming the world for what it is that ails you, you cry it out. It's safe, meticulous, and it lets you know that you're staying true to your soul."

Grinning, Donna observed her fiance.

"Did mum put something in you and the Doctor's tea this morning? Seems like you're both being philosophically introspective."

"I didn't even know you knew that word."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Donna replied, smirking as his eyes understood her double meaning.

"Well, future wife of mine, I do believe that we have our honeymoon for us to explore all of those things I don't know about you," he answered, hooking his arms around her.

"Is that right?" she laughed, her voice wrapping warmly around Jack's ears.

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Harry knew it was coming all day, but he attempted to ignore it by thinking of ways to hurt the Doctor - a topic that was starting to become duller than the books he reread. Still, it beat acknowledging the steady build up in the air around him. The thought that eventually, he would have to make up his mind on what to do with the redhead.

His mind had hatched a plan that would finally put him at ease, but his whole being was against him carrying through with it. Might not even work, it mentioned.

But Harry was adamant and so very tired of seeing a different man whenever he strolled by mirrored reflections on streets. The Time Lord that stared back at him, had allowed happiness and desire and the thought of loving someone, overtake him. While this reflection didn't exactly smile, it certainly didn't frown. The biggest expression was in the eyes. Brown eyes that told a story of triumph, love, and tranquility.

Many times that Friday, Harry promised himself that he would never end up like that. Yet, he had no one to argue it to. No one to assure but himself. And even his self was beginning to change into someone he didn't recognize.

What was so horrible about this new man that he was slowly allowing to step forth?

This new man was certainly happier, and not in a way that was traditionally felt in Harry. Happiness felt so foreign to him when it didn't involve him murdering or manipulating somebody. This new happiness instead led from inside of him and had no particular source of self inflicted action that made it happen. It was just a never ending feeling of being happy. Not overly, and not dismally so. Just happy.

Was it mad to not allow himself to feel that? Perhaps a bit. But that happiness, no matter how often he witnessed it, wouldn't stay around forever. Because that happiness was attached to something, and that something was a human. And humans were absolutely repulsive. Disgusting, no morals, and no brains. They were the cattle of the universe, begging with their ignorance to be slaughtered.

Donna Noble.

Oh, but he didn't think that of her. No matter how hard he tried, she seemed somehow above them. Even above members of his own race. Sure she might have used him for sex, but hadn't he done the same towards others? And there was the unmistakable fact that she'd stepped in front of him when one of the Doctor's idiots pulled a gun on him. Stood right in front and said that if he was going to shoot, he was going to have to shoot her to.

He could overlook her stubbornness toward him, but if he were to do that, it'd take away a part of what attracted him so much to her. Never mind that she'd almost managed to escape from him, punched him, had dinner with him on the Ood Sphere, saved his life, and gave him one of the greatest shags of his life. A shag that had bordered all the intimacy that Harry swore he'd never feel.

It was still so much more than that. She was a force to be reckoned with, and there was so much light and strength there. Unlike the Doctor, Donna forced herself to slow down and investigate the facts as well as face situations that would make a person want to hide at the end of the universe, rather than see it through.

Undeniable power that laid within her, and she so rarely ever realized it. How could she when he was busy taunting, seducing, and threatening to kill her all at the same time?

Were he to pursue her, would she honestly give back the same feelings? And how would he pursue her? Harry knew so little of actual engagements and priorities to a person. As much as he repeated it into his mind, the fact still remained true. The actual meaning of the word love was completely foreign to him. He thought he loved power and domination, but they weren't granted to him in a way that promised long time satisfaction. In fact, the satisfaction only came at the very beginnings of dominance.

Never even realizing this for so long, Harry could now understand some of his actions during his year long reign over Earth. It had started out so exciting at first, but eventually it calmed. That calm had made him infuriated and the drums made sure that he saw no logical reasoning to his end of atonement with the actions he greedily took.

And because no reasons were presented forth, Harry only carried on being the subversive dictator he decided to be. Many times, he even attempted to bring back that satisfaction he had gotten at the beginning of it all. Once with the order to eliminate four tenths of the world's population, other times just watching everything around him burn like the islands of Japan. Feeling a power over all of creation, not just human, but universe to.

Still, that satisfaction was shorter lasting than the one he began with, so his actions became crass and unmerciful. Four tenths of the planet escalated into eight tenths. Families would board the Valiant, and Harry would give the orders to have them execute each other, lest they be executed themselves. Even taking his power as far as to repeatedly scratch his fingers within the fleshy and pulsating minds of those with strong wills, just so that power would eventually become his.

None of it worked in the end, and the fact that he couldn't see it, but detected the answer just outside the beating of his drums, made him hate the drums and made him hate what he was. Of course he didn't take all his anger out on himself. That's why he had humans at a never ending disposal. That's why he had his incompetent and submissive wife, ready to take the bruises that she'd convince herself were of love. And even she had figured it out in the end. The answer to what he was and why the satisfaction didn't last.

Could Donna ever accept all that kind of darkness that laid dormant within him? There weren't murderous thoughts carried inside him anymore, but regardless, his actions stood as a reflection of what he once was. What could still be lying inside him, ready to spring out at any moment. A type of darkness that you didn't come back alive from.

Closing his eyes, Harry allowed the cool breeze to make every hair on his body, stand on edge. Since he'd come back, the Time Lord took a liking to doing everything without a shirt. It was comfortable and convenient. With the wind, came salvation. Knowing what that salvation was and knowing that he liked the salvation, maybe even loved, scared him more in a way atypical to everything that his persona of "the Master" was.

Which ended up being another thing that Harry flinched at when he saw his reflection. Because the person staring back at him, wasn't "the Master". It wasn't even charming and arrogant Harry Saxon. No, this person was rooted deeper mentally and emotionally.

The person staring back, was a reflection of his Gallifreyan self. Before the madness and before the need to hurt others was what controlled him. Just a small boy - curious and adventurous. So very naive yet understanding that he was meant for great things. How the Time Lords managed to eradicate all of that with not a single flinch, amazed him. But perhaps deep inside their nature, laid a dormant darkness as well.

_There's one more thing._

Silently agreeing with the thought, Harry tried working out what it was. It had to do with not being worthy in his present self. His present, broken, and somewhat violent self.

Harry watched the London sun slowly retreat into twilight, his eyes straying toward the window he was looking through. There again, stood Harry Saxon. But he wasn't Harry Saxon, nor was he "the Master".

No, what he saw staring back looked like him, even would sound like him, were he to open his mouth, but the expression in his eyes. He was content and in love. Even deeper than that. He knew who he was and lived a life free of the never ending drums. Still, even deeper than that.

Squinting, Harry jumped back in anger as he fumbled around with something hard on the ground. Finding a book, he pitched it with all his might at the window, successfully breaking the man reflected.

But it was already too late because he'd discovered the man that was staring back at him and that man happened to know that he was better. That his life and thoughts were what they were always meant to be. That the man staring back, was who Harry truly was. And Harry, upon seeing behind his eyes, his reflection, was jealous of him. Absolutely jealous and infuriated because his reflection was better than him. And they both knew it.

Taking in the teleporter once more, laying innocently among the broken glass, Harry made his decision. It might not have been the one that he ultimately agreed with, but it was permissible if it meant that he would begin to see his old logic. Because right now, his old logic was the only thing keeping him from turning into what his eyes reflected.

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><p><strong>There's something here that I'm going to say to kind of help explain the way I see Harry. This won't be mentioned in the story so if you want to read this, go ahead. Harry's drums are like an evil soul in a way. Take them away, and he starts to see things in a new perspective with a real soul and mind. Has anybody seen the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Well, it's like Angel's soul. With it, he sees the wrong he's done and feels the necessary guilt. But without it, he's a heartless machine of death. Because when he had his soul, he had time to reflect upon it and his actions and how much hurt he caused. With Harry, it's kind of the opposite. The drums in his head are basically Angel without a soul. They comfort him by never allowing him to truly understand people's pain or misery. They keep him the monster that he is. Now without the drums, there's no one to protect Harry from reflecting things that his drums would normally cover. He's constantly indecisive about his actions because he knows what Harry with the drums would do, but it's not exactly what he wants to do considering now that his eyes are truly open to actions that the Doctor always validated. Hope, desire, happiness, love. It's kind of how I tried to explain with his reflection. Right...so we've got two insecure individuals who might be perfect for each other...where's Love Connection when you need it? Or maybe Baggage would be more appropriate. I don't live off of reviews, but I'd really like to know what you're thinking in one :).<strong>


	29. Funerals & Fascinations

**Thank you so much for the reviews from the last chapter. They helped immensely to keep me chugging along with the story. I only hope that you enjoy this chapter, despite how I kind of rushed it.**

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><p><strong>Funerals &amp; Fascinations<strong>

Donna tried desperately to slow down all the days that led up to the funeral, indulging herself fully into the wedding planning as well as keeping her friends nearby. Taking on certain responsibilities that included unsuccessfully shopping with Joan for wedding dresses, scouring out Cross Corner Hill with Jack, and forcibly planning a reception afterward that was entirely unnecessary, but seemed essential according to her mother.

"Well, we might as well plan the first wedding song," Jack acknowledged after Sylvia had left, feeding them the information regarding the reception.

"Pick whichever song you'd like," Donna tiredly mumbled, leaning back on the kitchen counter.

"Are you sure? I can go with an English group if you'd like."

"No, Jack. It's fine. You've helped me enough as it is and I'd be more than happy to have you pick the song. The kind of mood I'm in right now, might force me to pick something in the death metal department."

"Nothing wrong with a Slayer tune to help show off our love for each other."

Donna grinned, another thing she'd been doing a lot of around Jack recently. Despite the intensity of planning the wedding in less than a week, planning it with Jack seemed to entirely make up for it. He was just as relaxed as her about it, and his genuine affection for her, showed. Much more than it was with Lance who dominated just exactly who was coming to see them, how soon the wedding would end, and what their plans afterward would be. Not that she minded at the time, so hopelessly in love with him. But now with decisions being left up to her, there was an atmosphere of uncompromise that was missing from her first wedding.

"Wish my dad would be here for this one. God knows the first one disappointed him," Donna announced after a moment.

"I'm sure he is. It's said that the dead never leave us, but our eyes are closed to their presence. That's how there are claimed "psychics" in the world. They not only feel the presence of the dead, but are able to see them. Whatever happens on Thursday, I know he would have been proud of you."

"When you look at it that way, I suppose you're right."

"Have you thought any more about my offer?"

Glancing up, Donna studied Jack's features.

"I have."

"And?"

"What would I do at Torchwood? I mean I'm not exactly a soldier."

"Analyzing alien artifacts, chasing hostile aliens, or even teleporting with my teleporter anywhere you want to. Of course under my watch since the Doctor wouldn't exactly approve of intergalactic traveling."

"Breaking the rules on my first day there? You lot really do live dangerously."

"Is that a yes?"

Sighing, Donna bit on her lip as she thought of her plans, post-fake wedding. The Doctor would be gone with gramps, her mum back to watching soaps or hanging out with her girlfriends, and she? Trying to find another temp job? Oh the boredom and inactivity that would come attached was staggering.

"I'll have an answer by the end of the wedding."

And Donna did ponder the rest of the weekend on whether to work at Torchwood, knowing so little about the company but trusting it since Jack operated quite fairly according to Gwen and Ianto. There were the few close calls and Donna got the impression that a few members of the team had been lost since Gwen had said some names in past tense. Like they worked there one day, but never came back the next. Still, the idea was appealing enough to her adventurous side.

However, Monday snuck up on her faster than she would have liked and all that she'd done to keep herself preoccupied, paled in comparison to eventually coming to terms with Lee's funeral.

"Are you ready?" the Doctor asked her on Monday morning, chipper and sullen at the same time.

"Not really," Donna mentioned from upstairs. "What do they wear to funeral processions in Nuevo Las Vegas? Maddy mentioned that they celebrate a person's death afterward. I doubt they do that in black clothes."

"I'm so glad you asked. Unlike Earth funerals, the residents of Nuevo Las Vegas take their time to mourn, and to celebrate with very bright colors. The brighter, the more celebratory the death is."

Ignoring the black lacy underwear on her bed she had yet to put away, Donna rummaged through her drawers. None of the clothes however, really felt right. She'd either look like a rainbow or a colorblind watermelon.

Finally, she settled on a white skirt with red prints on the sides of it and a midnight blue Armani top that Joan had gotten her while in Italy. It was essential that Donna wore it once every week since it nearly cost a fortune to acquire, as Joan would constantly inform her.

When the redhead traveled downstairs to meet the Doctor, she nearly fell down the stairs in mirth. The Doctor wore a forest green suit, white tie, and banana yellow pants. His brown hair attempted to be slicked back but its' crazy spikes rebelled against the gel and ended up perking up unnaturally.

"Don't you dare tell me now that I can't call you Martian. You look mental."

Raising his eyebrows eagerly, the Doctor jumped up once on the balls of his feet.

"Funny thing about Nuevo Las Vegas. What I'm wearing, is considered normal garb."

"Maddy or Lee didn't wear anything like that when I met them."

"Did I say normal? Well...semi normal. Well...relatively semi normal. Well...semi, relatively, somewhat normal."

"C'mon then, let's get to the Tardis before someone sees you."

"I was getting quite a crowd of followers today, walking about."

"You were walking in London, dressed like that?"

"Yeah...well, running's more like it. Apparently cats like colorful things. Trouble is, I don't much care for cats."

Shaking her head, Donna hooked her arm through the Doctor's and they set off for the Tardis.

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"Ianto? Could I have a word?" Jack asked, entering the hotel room that he and Gwen were sharing.

"Sure," the Welsh yawned back, sleep still prominent in his eyes.

"Did you check out the company I asked you to yesterday? The one that supposedly made and sold the funky."

"Yeah," he grumbled, flipping through a file on a table. "Says no such company exists. In fact, the technology for it doesn't even exist in current Torchwood and UNIT headquarters."

"I know. The funky hasn't been invented yet. Question is...how could a woman be in possession of it in 21st century Earth?"

"Maybe she's from the future?" he suggested.

"From the future? Just like the future version of the Master. Could it have been possible that the Master may have been the time interference but someone came back to this time to make sure that Donna strayed into the Master's path?"

"Ask Donna about it," Gwen pitched in from behind the changing room.

"Ask her what exactly?"

"Oh c'mon Jack. Do you really think that a woman on her own is going to decide to screw around with the enemy to get back at someone else? Wait...don't answer that question."

"So you're saying that the woman could have pointed out the idea to her?" Jack questioned.

"Exactly. Especially from everything you told me about Donna and my own personal opinion of her. She doesn't seem like the type who purposefully wants to hurt the people she loves. Or if she does, she's not going to do it with out a little push."

"But wouldn't Donna have obviously known that that's what the woman was aiming for? For her to find the Master?" Ianto wondered.

"Not if the woman was careful about the words she used. Or if Donna trusted her," guessed Jack.

"And so this mystery still lingers," Gwen observed, opening the door.

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Stepping foot on the planet Nuevo Las Vegas, Donna was shocked to see how absolutely bright and vibrant everything seemed. Skyscrapers weren't a boring gray, but a shock yellow or royal purple. Gray roads were replaced by yellow ones with an indigo stripe in the middle to indicate lanes. Trees remained the same color as did most of the vegetation, but instead of crystal dew that settled on top of the grass, the dew was a sparkling orange.

"Should have brought my sunglasses," Donna noted, observing all the abnormal scenery around her.

True to his word, Donna noticed that the men and women of the planet seemed to disregard what was normal or casual and instead opted for bright, different, and exciting.

Donna saw yellow jackets with red leather pants. Blue scarfs matched with a black pirate shirt and aqua pants. Green polka dotted blouses and pink skirts. Clothes that literally seemed to radiate a kind of light of its own.

"Have I ever mentioned to you the history of this planet?" the Doctor asked her, walking on the yellow road.

"No...you haven't. Let me guess, Martha Stewart and Elton John discovered it."

"Technically...the planet Eltonia was in rememberance of Elton John...but more to the point. Nuevo Las Vegas, translating into New Las Vegas. Has all the bling, all the glamor, and individuality that the original Las Vegas on Earth had. A complete transformation however since there are less casinos and clubs but more of a haven for those with entertainment and individualism in their blood. Anything goes here creatively, matrimonially, and physically. Great planet to have been born on," the Doctor admitted, taking in an upside down cherry tree.

"It's a lot to take in, but it's certainly appealing. Good to know that the human race doesn't stay completely oblivious to change."

"Oh far from it. In fact, it seems like the further your race explored the stars, the further your minds expanded to what was really able to be. Quite extraordinary," the Doctor exclaimed.

The couple walked in silence with each other, but not with the planet. All around them, singing and music could be heard. Inside of futuristic bars and pubs that didn't look too far off from modern ones in London, men and women gathered to entertain and sing and laugh. On the streets, performers with guitars plucked impressively at their instrument. Only a block away, juggling acts were being performed with multiple persons involved. Everywhere you turned, something flashy or amazing would catch your eye.

"There's no cars," Donna noted, referring to everyone walking across the road.

"This isn't a major metropolis. In the bigger cities, they have cars."

"Is the whole planet like this?"

"Yep."

"Amazing."

The Doctor grinned, taking her hand in his.

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"Donna's not here," Sylvia expressed, slamming the house door.

Faster than humanly possible, Harry flung his outstretched foot into the space just before the door shut.

He kept his hood lowered, disguising his voice to sound friendlier than it had been the last time he was held captive at the house.

"Do you know where she is?" he asked, seeing a suspicious look mold into her features.

"Who are you? I don't just let strangers in on my daughter's whereabouts," Sylvia stated angrily, attempting to shut the door again.

Fighting back his agitation, Harry sighed as he stuck his foot back into the space.

His voice lowered back into normalcy, but in it, a hypnotic enticement was planted.

"Miss Noble, I'd really like to know where your daughter is right now," Harry said, focusing all of his hypnosis into the command.

Sylvia's features loosened its suspicion immediately and flexed back as her eyes glazed over in obedience.

"She's at a funeral."

"Where?"

"She only said that it was out of this planet," Sylvia mindlessly replied, her ears gently relishing at Harry's kind voice.

"When will she be back?"

"Later this afternoon."

Glancing behind Donna's mother, Harry quickly deduced that she was the only home. He had no plans to kill her, but it meant that his very own would have to be held back. He needed Donna's abilities for what he had in mind.

Still, taking in the willing woman in front of him who would divulge any information that he commanded, Harry couldn't help but feel an eagerness. It'd been a bit too long since he could interfere with someone's life and play around a bit. Normally, he wouldn't wish to since he'd be spending his energies on something as insignificant as a human. But Donna was an exception since she so casually strolled into his life, why couldn't he do the same to hers?

"Invite me in," he finally commanded with a courteous smile, his voice never losing its soothing quality.

Sylvia, under command, opened the door for the blond Time Lord.

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Noticing a man standing still in the middle of the road, Donna softly asked, "Excuse me. Do you know when Lee McAvoy's funeral is? And where."

A man of about forty with polyester red bell bottoms and a brown t shirt, turned toward them and answered, "It's starting right now."

"Where?"

"Avery Funeral Homes. But only close family is allowed in."

"Where is that?"

"About three blocks ahead then two blocks to the right then four blocks cross corner. But I'm telling ya-," he shouted, witnessing the redhead take off in a sprint, "only family can get in!"

The Doctor ran off after her.

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"You can go put on some tea now," Harry ordered.

Sylvia nodded her head, and turned to go back down stairs.

Harry on the other hand, entered Donna's room since Sylvia had so kindly decided to show him.

It wasn't exactly what he expected it to be. Normal bed with brown covers, large vanity that contained all of her make up and perfumes, and a closet as well as a drawer for her articles of clothing. Much more blander than he expected.

Speaking of articles of clothing, Harry lowered his hood and wandered over to the bed. On top of her covers lay a pair of lacy black underwear, out of place in a room that was the exact opposite of erotic.

Grinning, he picked them up, observed their cleanliness and laughed loudly into the silent room. They were the same pair she had worn on the night she'd first seduced him.

Dropping them, Harry found it strangely amusing that she so carelessly left undergarments lying around. Not that he was complaining.

Reaching her pillows, Harry glanced up at the door to make sure that Donna's mother wouldn't make a sudden appearance. Although she was under his command, it didn't mean that what he was about to do would exactly be something he wanted her to witness.

Picking up the pillow, Harry sniffed it and nearly moaned. It not only still held the Havic Rasperry that he'd smelled on her, but her very own scent of fresh berries and cinnamon that she from added to her tea.

Smothering it closer to his nostrils, Harry was surprised at how strongly his craving for the scent was. Not just the Havic Raspberry, but Donna's scent also. Having burned his sheets, Harry believed that would be the end of it. But inhaling the glorious scent once more, only reinstated a deep hunger that was tucked away inside of him. It stirred up nostalgic feelings in him reminiscent of his time at the Ood Sphere. A time where despite it's beginnings, it was the first time he was happy. By himself, he would have probably slaughtered one or two of the humans there. But with Donna, other things didn't matter. Only the time he spent around her did.

Ignoring for once that vicious voice that had been looking down on his current actions as of lately, Harry continued exploring the room.

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"Please, I need to get in," Donna begged the man who despite his bright apparel, had a stony expression on his face.

"I'm sorry but no one except family gets in," the man stated once more.

"We are family," the Doctor explained, showing the man his psychic paper.

"There is no such persons listed as "Gregory and Tracy McAvoy, distant cousins". I'm sorry, you'll just have to mourn outside," he repeated.

"My name is Donna Noble and I was given an invite to the funeral by Maddy Laine. Please just-."

"Donna Noble?" the man suddenly questioned, taking in her form.

"Yes," she tiredly exclaimed.

"Of course. Sorry for the inconvenience," he explained, unlocking the chain to the door.

Ignoring him, Donna grabbed the Doctor's hand from behind her and rushed into the home.

They'd been running for 15 minutes already, forgetting once where exactly to go before getting back on track. However, as Donna opened the door, there was only one person who stood near the casket, dressed in silver and lime green. The rest of the room was empty, the occupants having left long ago.

"Maddy?" Donna breathlessly said.

Turning around, Maddy grinned at Donna's appearance.

"I had them keep the casket out...just in case you'd show up."

Stepping forward, she noticed the confused look on Maddy's face.

"That's the Doctor," Donna informed, pointing a finger behind her. "He was the one that traveled with me to the Library."

Maddy nodded, stepping aside so Donna could observe the man in the coffin.

Lee was dressed in a dark brown suit and light yellow pants. Strangely enough, the yellow suited him. Still, his eyes were closed for their final time as his body laid dormant forever.

"He looks so peaceful," Donna commented after a second.

"He went peacefully," Maddy informed, taking Donna's hand softly.

Those were the only two things said as Donna observed the man she could have mistaken to have been sleeping.

Surprisingly, tears didn't come at first. All she saw before her was a man she'd known. But when it got to the topic of how she'd known him, her mind accessed all the memories of her time as being his wife. The kindness he showered her in, the marvelous way that he played with their children, the love making that seemed to go on for hours, and finally, the real love they'd shared with each other, day by day.

To believe that it was all a lie wasn't exactly a reassuring thought. Because she knew there was no lie despite the false reality of it. Embracing that it was an experience and she had learned from it, seemed better acceptable for her mind.

Oddly enough, Donna still noticed traces of his handsome youth even in this older man. And that was when the tears came. Tears for his life that she never got to experience. A broken promise of finding him, and then seeing his dead form laying in aged wonder. Time had moved on for him, but for Donna, it remained unbearably slow. Always her words ticking in her mind, promising to find him. Never doing so however.

In her free hand, she felt the Doctor place his inside as the three stood in front of Lee McAvoy's casket, grieving along with the rest of the inhabitants of the planet Nuevo Las Vegas.

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Although the scents he picked up in her room were near intoxicating, Harry felt obliged to do something that would infuriate the redhead. Or at least make sure that she thought of him just as often as he thought of her.

Now that he did mention it, it seemed like the amount of times he thought about her each day even when he promised himself not to, was quite staggering. But if she returned, his plan would be set in motion so all those thoughts could go on as often as he'd like since he wouldn't care about them once his plan was completed.

Grabbing a scrap piece of paper and a pen nearby, Harry glanced once toward the pair of underwear laying on her bed before scribbling down a note.

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"So what exactly are we doing?" Gwen asked, struggling to keep up with Jack's brisk pace.

"Well, from how I see it, we've got to ask Sylvia if she was curious about any of Donna's friends. Or if one just randomly appeared in the past few days and entered themselves into her life."

"If my mum knew the kind of people I hang out with...," Ianto mumbled.

"Good thing we keep you in line," Jack assured with a smile.

Stopping suddenly, Jack turned toward his Torchwood team.

"I promise that as soon as we find out who this woman is, you guys can do anything you like. Explore London, decapitate anyone who makes fun of your country, etcetera. It's just...driving me crazy, this whole funky business," Jack stated.

"We understand Jack," Gwen reassured. "Honestly, once you get into this kind of lifestyle of mystery, it's difficult to shy back away from it."

Ianto nodded in agreement and Jack smiled at them.

"Thank you."

Then before his gratitude could escalate any further, Jack turned around and headed up the stairs of the Noble house, his friends behind him.

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"He left you something," Maddy informed, placing a folded piece of paper in Donna's hand.

The casket had long been taken away and the three of them were only left to converse on Lee's legacy. All of the amazing things he'd done and the wonderful people he'd befriended. Stories he'd told of his adventures and the family he helped sprout.

Now with the piece of paper in Donna's hand, she was curious as to what it's contents held.

"He wrote it before he died but, after he met you again," Maddy clarified.

Stepping away briefly from the duo, Donna turned and opened the paper.

**_It's great, isn't it? Loving someone without even knowing it. Only makes the surprise that much more interesting when you finally acknowledge it._**

**_Always remember Donna, the love we carried with us, will never die. But because I have, does not mean that your ability to do so, should. Acknowledge this: the greatest seduction, is of the heart._**

**_-Lee_**

Smiling at the closure as well as the still somewhat cryptic meaning of the note, Donna hugged the piece of paper to her chest and whispered a final prayer of leaving.

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When Harry Saxon heard Jack's voice from upstairs, he cursed. It was bad enough that he hated the man with a strong passion, but he'd also left his teleporter down stairs after Sylvia had begun ascending upstairs to show him Donna's room. Near the steps on a small tea table, laid his teleporter. Hopefully away from public eyes.

"-you okay? Seem kinda out of it," Jack noted from the hallway.

"I'm fine today," Sylvia monotonously replied, letting them all in.

Harry calmed his heart beats as he watched the Torchwood team from upstairs. If they would move along, it'd be simple for him to grab the teleporter and run. Despite his past, Harry really didn't want to begin a fight. One where he would win. Regardless, all he wanted to know was Donna's whereabouts. His concern wasn't with any of them.

"-made tea if you'd like some. Come into the kitchen," Sylvia implored.

Jack, Gwen, and Ianto followed Donna's mother into the kitchen as Harry sneakily crawled down the stairs. From his vantage point, the kitchen was only partly viewable. Briefly, he noted the messiness of it before grabbing his teleporter.

Then, he disconnected his control over Sylvia, making sure that their little run in was a mere memory lapse for the aged woman. The only thing she'd remember was making tea.

"What am I doing making tea?" Sylvia objected from the kitchen. "We've got to you ready for the wedding! Have you even looked at tuxedos yet?"

Although Harry hadn't known who this statement was aimed at, his interest was slightly piqued at the topic. However, movement from outside the doorway signaled Wilf's arrival from his walk.

All Harry managed to think before he teleported away was how much he had hated his own wedding to Lucy.

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"No! Absolutely not!" Donna protested, taking a few steps back from Maddy's excited form.

"What's wrong with it? You said that you're getting married, but you can't find that perfect wedding gown in your city. This is perfect!"

Glancing at the Doctor for help, she was frustrated to discover that he was politely keeping his self out of the conversation.

"Look, Donna. I want you to wear my mom's wedding gown. Not like she'll need it anyway. Plus, I really think it'd look incredible on you."

Taking in the white and silver threading, modest yet tantalizing length and crystalline fabric, Donna shook her head. The gown was absolutely stunning and unlike any she'd ever taken in before. But to wear it, knowing it was Lee's daughter's, was a large opportunity to grasp.

"I'll even ask my mom if you want me to. I'm more than sure she'll say yes. Please Donna. Think how happy it would make Lee to have you wear it."

Donna glanced up at Maddy's pleading face and remembered what Jack had said about the dead staying with you, despite your eyes being closed to their presence. She wanted to make him proud with her future choices, even though she constantly had to remind herself that it was a fake wedding.

Could Lee have been referring to Jack in his letter when he explained that love was great, especially without even realizing that it was inside a person? Honestly, she had no clue. But taking another look at the wedding dress, Donna couldn't will herself to say no to something that had probably been just as important to Maddy's mother as well as Lee himself.

"Alright," she finally announced. "But you've got to make sure that your mum's okay with this. Don't want her to think that I'm hijacking her wedding dress or something."

Maddy's eyes lit up as she placed the gown in Donna's hands and ran back inside her house to ask her mom.

"What do you think Doctor?" Donna asked the strangely silent man behind her.

"I think," he observed, turning her to face him, "you'll look absolutely beautiful."

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"I'm not aware of any friends really that just entered her life. She's been friends with Joan for five years. Cady and Stacy for two," Sylvia described, rushing about the kitchen.

Jack sighed disappointingly, hoping that her information would have been more ground breaking.

"Jack," Ianto quietly mumbled, "we'll ask Donna when she gets home. Don't worry about it."

Just as he spoke, the front door of the house slammed open and their current topic of discussion walked in with the Doctor in tow.

"Mum?" Donna yelled from the hallway, keeping a careful hold of the wedding dress so as not to crease it.

Sylvia gravitated into the hallway to yell at her daughter for interrupting when she caught sight of the gown.

"Where did you get that?" she asked in awe.

"A friend of mine's mother offered it. Just have to give it back after the wedding."

"It's gorgeous!" Sylvia proclaimed, hesitating to touch the fabric for fear of tarnishing it.

"Yeah, well I'm going up stairs to hang it up in my room. Be right down," Donna promised, walking upstairs.

"What's going on?" the Doctor questioned, seeing Jack and his Torchwood team in the kitchen.

"We think we might know how Donna was led to the Master after he caused the time interference," Jack explained.

The Doctor curiously raised his eye brows, interested in the new development.

Meanwhile upstairs, Donna had found a hanger and carefully placed it inside of the dress, marveling once again at the beauty of it. She hadn't tried it on but Maddy's mother had assured that the dress was a one size fit all, made of special fabric not yet created in 21st century Earth.

Taking in the beautiful garment one last time, Donna turned to leave when something on her bed, caught her eye. Instead of seeing her black underwear that she remember leaving out, a white, folded piece of paper littered her bed.

Curiously, she ventured toward it, confused as to who else could have been in her room. When they had left earlier in the morning, her gramps had been gone for his walk already. Only her mum was home.

Unfolding the paper, Donna hesitantly read the scribbled writing:

**So I have something to always remember my conquest by.**

**-H.S.**

For a few seconds, Donna only stood petrified to the floor. And then anger coursed through her. Throwing down the piece of paper, she searched over and under her bed, inside the covers and near her drawer. But it was in vain. Her lacy underwear, were gone. Not only that, but the mocking initials from the note seemed to bother her the harsher she searched.

Finally, Donna threw herself down on her bed, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

"The bastard stole my underwear," she bit out disbelievingly into the empty room.

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><p><strong>Only because I realized that it's been a long time since Harry did something mischiveous what with all the emotions he's been feeling. Might feel a bit too rapid with all the different POV that kept on switching, but it's my story and that's how I decided for it to go down. Let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	30. Love in the Past Tense

**So how about I celebrate my 17th birthday today by uploading a chapter? Yay! It's a bit of a reflective piece, but I still feel that it does Donna good to ponder on her feelings & emotions. So...enjoy! Oh, and thank you marvelously for the reviews, as always.**

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><p><strong>Love in the Past Tense<strong>

"I'm sorry, what?" Donna repeated for perhaps the sixth time that afternoon, mentally preoccupied with thoughts of strangling a certain blond Time Lord.

Jack patiently asked his question again.

"In the past week, have you met any woman who just suddenly appeared in your life? Told you anything or made you plan out ideas you normally wouldn't partake in."

"No," Donna stated at first.

However, at Jack's frustrated sigh, Donna carefully dislodged all the thoughts of Harry for the moment and attempted to remember any woman she'd met that week. All that came to mind was Vanessa, but she didn't see how Vanessa could have anything to do with leading her to Harry.

"There was this one woman I met on Monday afternoon, named Vanessa. Before I met Martha. I was just sitting down on a bench and she sat next to me."

"What did she say to you?"

"It was just small talk. There was a soap opera that was on and she explained the show to me."

"What was the show?" Sylvia interrupted.

"Tears of My Beloved."

"Great show," she muttered. "Sad ending though. Angelica having cancer and all."

"What?" Donna cried, confused at her mother's explanation. "Didn't Angelica shag Colin in order to get back at Victor?"

"Which soap opera have you been watching?" Sylvia indignantly sputtered.

Leaning back in her chair, Donna stared at her cup of tea, perplexed. Why had Vanessa told her a false plot line to the show?

"Did you actually ever watch the television show?" Jack questioned, interested now that there was different information.

"Well...," Donna distractedly explained, remembering sitting at the bench and watching the characters but asking Vanessa what was actually going on in the show, "no. No, I didn't. She told me the plot of the soap."

"The show is about a cancer patient named Angelica who's husband, Victor tries to hire a doctor to cure her. Problem is that the doctor, named Colin, was sued for malpractice. Ends up accidentally killing Angelica and running off with all of Victor's money," Sylvia described.

"Oh my god," Donna exclaimed, "why would she tell me the wrong...?"

And then suddenly, it hit her. If they followed the theory consisting of Vanessa being from the future, then she must have known her as well. Coming back to this present time, Vanessa would have understood how Donna was feeling. Betrayed by the Doctor but not wanting to assert any sort of revenge, at least not really.

The soap opera was her perfect chance. Donna nearly begged her to tell her about the show. And Vanessa knew that Donna would adopt the character's actions and personalities to ones in her own life. Because betrayal and vengeance, for just a split second, had made a home inside of Donna's heart.

Through her words, Donna found Harry.

"Where is Vanessa?" Jack asked.

"She's...gone."

"Meaning?"

"I only talked to her last Friday but she said that she had to leave. Said something about it having to do with work."

"Work?"

"She sold electronics that people would pay mental amounts of money for. Never really stated where she got the products from."

"Assuming," the Doctor suddenly spoke up, "that the Master had also used time in order to send her to your past, and according to the time interference law, Vanessa could only have stayed for five days. Longer than five days and time would start to distort, starting with people's destinies. Certain individuals could have ran into someone else faster than they were supposed to, or others journeys may have continued far longer than they should have. If outward distortions of time had started, creation and life would cease to have meaning, cease to have consciousness."

"You're saying," Donna translated, "that he nearly destroyed all of creation just to meet me?"

"Yeah," the Doctor stated, unsure as to how to take in the thought either.

"How romantic," the redhead stated.

Jack, Sylvia, Wilf, and the Doctor all snapped their heads toward her in befuddlement.

"What? It kind of is," she repeated.

"You don't have any feelings for hi-."

"Oh come off it Doctor, you know I don't. Still, it definitely says something about the kind of man he was."

"The Master isn't a man. He's not even capable of feeling all the things that make a man, a man. I may have defended him briefly, but that was only to figure out what he was up to. Donna, there is no good inside of him. No mercy, no decency, no love," Jack stated angrily.

For whatever reason, annoyance stirred like a fear some beast inside the redhead. Despite the hectic week she had had with Harry, if there was anything she had learned, it was the exact opposite of what Jack had pointed out. And allowing everyone to still hold on to the same prejudices they held of him, only seemed to infuriate her even more.

"You're wrong," Donna insisted loudly. "Completely wrong about him. You said he has no mercy. Then how is it that I'm still alive? You said that he's not decent. On the Ood Sphere, he dined with over a dozen humans, without hurting any of them. Then go ahead and tell me that he can't love. If anything, I think that's the emotion that's been trying to get through these past few days. The only reason it's stuck is because no one chooses to see it. They only choose to see the dark and evil in him. They choose to remember all the hate and fury he spread. If he behaves in the way that you expect him to, then he won't ever change. Am I honestly the only one who thinks of the good he's capable of?"

The room stayed eerily silent after her outburst, not willing to glance at each other but not able to tolerate a convincing answer. Her words has struck them in a forced reverie where they began to rethink everything they'd known about Harry.

Finally, the Doctor took Donna's hand softly and lifted her out of the chair. Without a word, he pulled at her to follow him, giving no indication for his sudden actions.

When they were out of the kitchen, and out of ear shot, the Doctor turned to face Donna. His face showed a proud admiration.

"Sometimes, you catch me off guard," were his first words.

"In what way?" Donna asked, calming her breaths.

"The way you think and the way you understand. If not for having scanned you multiple times on board the Tardis, the first time you were aboard, I truly would have believed that you were alien."

"But I am. Half Time Lord."

Laughing, the Doctor shook his head.

"Not even Time Lords continue to have the understanding you have. I think maybe it's a strictly human trait, but that doesn't seem accurate. Maybe it's just a strictly Donna trait."

"Don't get too sentimental."

"I believe it though. You see so much good in him. You continue to see it even when I get sidetracked from it. That takes a woman with a great heart to allow him in."

"What are you implying?"

The Doctor leaned back on the wall and muttered, "The greatest seduction, is of the heart. Blimey, even Lee had it figured out."

"What are you going on about?"

"Oh, nothing."

Sighing, Donna pleaded, "Just tell me. You know I'm never going to figure out what it means."

"Wrong," the Doctor proclaimed. "And by the way...you have my permission. Not that you'll need it."

With that, the Doctor's face suddenly got eager at whatever was infiltrating his mind and making him behave like a grinning idiot. Then without explanation, he left the redhead alone in the hallway to grumble to herself.

To say that Donna was incredibly frustrated, was an understatement. First, one Time Lord nicked her...well, knickers. Secondly, she then defended said Time Lord, but it was like talking to a brick wall when it came to the occupants of the kitchen. It was like she was the only one who saw the good in him. Thirdly, the Doctor figured out what Lee meant by his cryptic message, but gave no indication as to what it meant. And lastly, someone who she thought was a friend, was actually a spy from the future, intent on making sure she met Harry. Was it make Donna miserable day around here or something?

It seemed like everybody had their own agenda, their own feelings that they'd gone and figured out, leaving Donna behind to sulk in hers. Was it even possible that she had legitimate feelings for Harry?

A week ago, the answer would have been no. Even that morning that they shagged on the Ood Sphere, her feelings hadn't surrounded her heart so earnestly, so desperately. But now...she felt something rumbling deep inside her.

Oh sure, she wanted to smack the Time Lord to death. He stole her bloody knickers! But in a very strange way, the act was endearing. He had to have cared about her reaction in order to have acted out the silly ritual.

Is this what she'd reduced him down to? A Time Lord who stole her knickers? Was that such a bad thing?

Revenge.

Oh, definitely not this time. Sure, she was tiffed that he grabbed what wasn't his, but the last time she tried to act out revenge, it had ended up much more complicated than she wanted it to. She ended up falling for a blond, evil, Time Lord who set her heart and palms ablaze with feelings that never wanted to admit themselves. If she were to attempt to get him back, it would only keep this game going. This game that Donna really didn't want to admit that she liked playing. Still, eventually, the game would have to be won and Harry was someone who didn't believe that he could lose.

So why did everything still feel wrong? Sure she was going to get fake married to Jack in two days, but even that act itself felt unjustified. Unreal. As if she was wasting her energies on something that didn't mean anything. Don't get Donna wrong, she loved Jack. But in between their bantering and light humor, she didn't convincingly see herself with him. And she knew without a doubt that he felt the same way. They were just two friends who were incredibly lucky to have began their friendship. And now were going through with a marriage that was as platonic as their relationship.

On top of all the marriage plans, there was something that was telling Donna to set her eyes on what mattered. It wasn't just a feeling inside of her, but key words she'd heard in the past week that only reaffirmed this belief. Vanessa. Lee. The Doctor. Even the Ood. Twisting their words so as not to alert her too soon to their intentions. But still leaving her to fend for herself, pondering on just what exactly she was to do with her future.

Would the feelings go away? Thinking back of the note Harry had left upstairs and the submerged excitement she'd felt, perhaps it was unlikely. But maybe they'd be those type of emotions that were typical of infatuation. Perhaps in a few weeks, they'd simmer away.

There it was again, however. That titanic "NO!" that seemed to roar from somewhere within her. It told her to think back on everything she'd experienced, and everything she'd learned about Harry. His fears, his mind, his personality, his character, his ability to love that glimmered more softly than an inexpensive jewel. Does one really learn all of those ticking's and quirks about a person, just to walk away from them? Did she shag, banter, and get herself involved with Harry far deeper than she would have liked, just to turn her back and pretend she hadn't?

She knew why that seemed like such an appealing idea. Falling in love, while it was wonderful, it had its downsides. Lance, who never really loved her, but she had enough love to make up for both of them. Lee, a man who changed everything she'd known about love, but was lost forever in the tribal infinities of time. Shaun, someone she was willing to settle with just because she was 36 years old and not getting any younger by the minute.

All men she'd cared deeply for, ripped apart by either time or unprocessed feelings. Despite her tough exterior, Donna was a girl who craved love very deeply. She wouldn't shag a bloke unless he made her head spin, and not from the drinks he was buying her. Any bloke that she truly saw potential in, she'd allow wholeheartedly in.

What did she see in Harry? Certainly a man who could love. But there was still an undeniable darkness that lingered inside of him. Whether it could lead him to murder again, Donna wasn't positive. Yet, the future version of Harry must have seen something in her, must have felt something from her in order to reorder time in her honor. Acts performed, especially that monumental, weren't done mindlessly or heartlessly.

Glancing up at her room and thinking of the beautiful wedding gown inside of it, Donna realized that this wedding might be the last enjoyment of her life. Afterward, gramps would be gone, her mum back to the telly or going out, and Jack as well as Martha, back to their respective jobs. While Jack's offer still hung in the air, Donna didn't find it too likely that she would say yes.

Why? Because despite everything, there was something that Donna felt like she was waiting for. Some event to happen or some act before the wedding that would change her mind about spending her life alone. Whatever it was that she felt for Harry, although it was becoming increasingly clear, there was still too much panic on carrying it out. She'd been either burned by love or never found it in the right person. If Harry would only do something, say something. Let her know that she saw exactly what she thought she did. But he might not even feel the same way about her.

There again, that same voice scolded her for ignoring some sort of obvious fact. Something that was so clearly in front of her that by overlooking it, made her feel like the biggest idiot in all of Earth.

_What can I do? What am I supposed to wait for?_

"I'm going to go through with the wedding of course," Donna decided finally to the vacant hallway.

_Then what after that?_

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><p><strong>Donna's thoughts and such because no matter what has happened this far into the story, I want everyone to know that I started this mainly because I love Donna. I love her personality, her heart, and her feelings. Sure you guys might want me to do this with a certain character or have these two people hook up, but ultimately, it is all about Donna. How...fun! Let me know what you're thinking in a review :) And, unlike last time where I foolishly believed 6 chapters were going to do it, I can honestly say that the end is nearing. The end of what exactly? Who knows...well, I do, but I'm not going to tell you because I love you people to much to give away the end.<strong>


	31. Follow the Drums Back Into Madness

**Thank you for the reviews very much as well as the birthday wishes. I can only guess what 17 will bring me considering it started out with me being depressed since I'd done nothing spectacular at age 16, a rumored age where the best of times happen. I've been meaning to update since Monday, but I went on vacation and where I was at, had no computer/internet. So it's late, but I'm uploading anyway. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Follow the Drums Back Into Madness<strong>

Harry was getting impatient, agitated, and all around annoyed. It was Wednesday night and he still hadn't come in contact with Donna yet. A part of him had hoped that she would have caved in and tried to get her underwear back, thus introducing him once again to her presence. However, it was quickly overshadowed by his plan that he still had to carry out.

He didn't want to knock on her door and cause a scene again, especially since he'd teleported once on Tuesday, only to see the house loaded. Dear old Martha and her army dog boy was there as well as the Freak, the Doctor, the Freak's friends, and friends of Donna.

Normally, he would have been suspicious of such prominent activity in the house. If he was overly paranoid, his thoughts could have led him to believe that they were plotting against him. However, by the time Wednesday night rolled around, he was too frustrated to even consider it. Harry needed to carry out his plan as soon as possible; in order to finally retain order and his own twisted version of peace.

So, he had studied the house on Tuesday and noted just exactly when everyone made their leave and who exactly was left. That same day, he was murderously wondering just why exactly the freak was staying the night. Just the thought of him in the same room with Donna, made his blood boil and fists clench uncontrollably, itching to beat the freak to death. However, he ignored all of this on Wednesday night. From his observations, only Donna and her family would be there.

Picking up his teleporter at eight o'clock that night, Harry finally made his decision. There was going to be one hell of a struggle, something he wasn't sure if he was looking forward to or not. Still, it needed to be done.

Pressing down on the button, he teleported to Donna Noble's room, pocketing handcuffs along the way.

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"So you both know exactly what to do, right?" Sylvia yelled at Donna's retreating form that was headed up stairs.

"Yeah, mum. We only went through the rehearsal 50 times. I'm pretty sure I'll be walking down the altar in my bloody dreams!"

"Good! And when Jack turns to you, your vows will be said and-."

"Mum, where exactly is the fake part of the wedding? We've got a real minister and you forced Jack and I to write vows. Those are pretty standard procedures of weddings."

"Well, the certificate you two will be getting, is fake. Plus, Charles will probably mumble incoherently some of the time, just to avoid confusion to normally typical words announced for a wedding. It'll be perfect. Shaun'll get a front row view and after the wedding, you two will be blessedly happy in your factitious matrimony."

Rolling her eyes, Donna wondered again just exactly how she could have lied about getting married. It was the first thing that came out of her mouth, but she certainly could have thought it over better. Ah well, at least she had Jack...even if he wasn't quite being civil to her.

Donna and Jack had been on odd terms as of late, he still partly sullen at her defense of the renegade Time Lord. Donna made no move to apologize, seeing as to how she didn't believe she had anything to apologize about. Jack meanwhile, seemed to give her short, quipped answers before proceeding on. His patience had been waned greatly over the week when it came up to Harry, and Donna guessed that he was just sick of him. The thought that he would eventually hurt her, angered Jack to no end.

"And make sure that you're up by 9:30! Belinda is coming to the house to do your hair!"

"I got it," Donna remarked, treading the rest of the way up to her room.

As much as she was looking forward to a nice long soak in her bathtub, there were more personal matters to attend to. Matters having to do with the figurative cooling of her feet in regards to her nuptials. Oh she knew it was a fake wedding, but she didn't understand why it felt like she was throwing her life away. There was only freedom that awaited her as soon as Shaun got out of her hair and Jack went back to Torchwood. Nevertheless, Donna had an eery feeling about the whole wedding. Like something was amiss.

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"So please explain to me what you would like me to do, Miss Noble?" minister of the Pencona Church, Charles Igleby, asked, his confusion evident even through the phone.

Sylvia glanced at the hallway, making sure once more that her daughter was out of ear shot.

"I told you at first that this wedding was going to be fake. However...they've changed their minds about it. Over the course of just this past week, Jack and Donna have fallen for each other. It literally is a match made in heaven. So, what I'd like you to do is host a proper wedding as well as print up real marriage documents. I find it's only best that they are able to sign the documents for their nuptials as soon as possible."

Charles hesitated before answering, "You are sure that they are aware of this?"

"Aware?" Sylvia shrieked, "they're the ones that thought of it!"

"Alright Miss Noble. I'll be there tomorrow to marry them."

Sylvia sighed in relief, thanking the minister before hanging up. If Donna or Jack knew what she was up to, they would probably both kill her. Well, her daughter would for sure. However, for Sylvia, it couldn't be helped. The playfulness between the two made her weary at first, but Jack was so good to Donna. He may have teased her, but she handled it well by teasing him back. Their flirtations, in her eyes, were only bound to lead into eventual love.

It was with that realization that Sylvia made the last call of the night to Charles, imploring him to change the fake wedding to a real one. The love she saw between the two, only accumulated daily. They were still a bit sore toward each other since Monday, but only a lover's tiff.

Sylvia believed that not only love was evident underneath their flirtations, but that Donna would be alone once this wedding was over with. Why couldn't she really be wife of Jack Harkness instead of spending her life alone, searching for her next temping gig? It was really only in a mother's best interest to interfere when it was so obvious that her daughter was drowning in loneliness.

Sipping some of her tea, Sylvia pondered happily on the prospect of soon having a son.

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Donna was very thankful that she never owned a pet. Cat, dog, rat, hamster, whatever. What bothered her about animals was that eventually, the final demonstration of trust had to do with allowing yourself to become nonchalant by their staring while in the process of taking off your clothes. The creepy, beady black eyes that stared at your every movement, really unsettled the redhead.

Don't get her wrong, she loved animals. Just being stared at one while she was undressing, was unnerving to say the least.

So when Donna was undressing out of her day clothes, ready to slip into her very silky and comfortable pajamas, the intense feeling of being watched by an animal, hit her like a thousand ton atom bomb. It was swift, out of nowhere, and incredibly heated. Donna could literally feel the pinch of invisible solar flairs, striking across her back. Not to mention that every hair on her arm, stood up on end.

Quicker than she meant to, Donna twirled around and squeaked as she took in none other than Harry Saxon. His face showed that he was just as equally surprised to have teleported in to her room while she was undressing. But, that slight arrogant smirk was threatening to wipe out any sorry feelings he was having.

The two simply stared at each other, slightly taken away at finally seeing each other. Even though it'd only been a week since they'd last met, the time seemed longer than that.

"Hi," Donna finally stated nervously, fidgeting with her night shirt to cover her form.

"Hi," Harry replied, his voice slightly gravely and hoarse.

Their eyes met and Donna immediately remembered just exactly what was happening. The bastard that stole her knickers, was back in her bloody room!

"If you don't leave blondie, I'm going to scream and alert my mum."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, his eyes accepting the challenge he'd been so long without.

"You scream and I'll kill your mum."

Donna sucked in a breath, thankful that she'd gotten her bottoms on. Something about standing in front of the man who was threatening to kill your mum, with nothing but bra and panties, was incredibly disconcerting.

"You kill my mum and I'm going to cut off your bits," Donna stated firmly, slightly surprised at her boldness.

"You cut off my bits and I'm going to kill the freak."

"Oi, how did Jack get involved in this?"

Harry tried to hide the guilty expression on his face, but Donna caught on to it.

"You've been watching our house."

"Have not."

"Oh you are such a liar. I can tell you know. You and the Doctor both do that weird thing with your ears."

"A comparison to the Doctor? My life is truly complete."

"Is it?" Donna questioned, slightly on edge at Harry's presence. She didn't know his motive for suddenly appearing in her room, and that only made him that more dangerous.

"It will be," he remarked, taking a dominating step forward.

Donna forced herself not to back up, very nervous all of a sudden from the look that sparked on his face. It was completely unreadable.

She glanced behind him, thankful that she'd moved the wedding dress into her closet. Explaining to a deranged Time Lord about her upcoming marriage, might result in her death before the joyous event. Harry tended to destroy all that was good anyway.

_There I go again. Snap yourself out of it and remember the good you saw in him. The good I know I brought about._

"Before you do whatever it is you're going to do," Donna bargained, "just let me get my shirt on. Alright?"

Harry thought it over briefly and then slowly nodded in agreement, tilting his head expectantly.

However, Donna knew it was too good to be true.

She tried to throw her shirt quickly over her, but Harry was there in mere seconds, attempting to grasp her hands. There was a bit of a tumble as one of her arms got caught in one arm hole, and her body understanding that Harry was trying to grasp on to her, made her kick out her foot harshly.

When Donna's foot connected with Harry's crotch once more, the Time Lord dropped to his knees in pain.

"For the love of Gallifrey," Harry groaned in pain, clutching at the bits that Donna had managed to kick once more.

The redhead threw the shirt over her head, slightly ruffled at Harry's aggressive and deceiving actions. Yet, she wasn't going to allow him to potentially murder her or her family.

Without really thinking, Donna pounced on the recovering blond, pinning his body down to the ground as she easily kept her arms down around his wrists. Their breathing was heavy, sweat even threatening to pour down their backs as Donna kept her weight firmly on top of him.

"You know, from this position, you look like the Doctor," Donna half insisted, half spat.

There was nothing preparing her for his reaction as he swiped at her hands inhumanly fast, bucked her legs off him and forced her backwards on to her rug. In five seconds flat, he was on top of her, his legs pinning hers down and his body holding down on hers heavily.

"And from this position," Harry breathed, "you look like my next murder victim."

"Still touchy about the Doctor, are we?"

"The Doctor is nothing to me," he stated as if it was a fact.

"And me? What am I to you?" Donna questioned, thankful that she was able to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.

A strange look marred his face, almost as if he was caught in between letting out the truth or announcing a string of lies.

"I don't know," he settled on, switching Donna's wrists to one arm as his free one searched for something in his pocket.

"What do you mean you don't know? A week ago and I was nothing to you. Just a girl who bested you. You got your revenge, now what do you want from me?"

"Your help," he muttered in between breaths, locating the teleporter from behind him.

"And it involved attempting to kidnap me?"

This time, Harry smiled widely.

"I wasn't in the mood for asking your permission."

"Are you ever in the mood for asking anyone's permission?"

"No, I suppose not. By the way," Harry continued, revealing the teleporter to the redhead who groaned in frustration at its sight, "your knickers make a fine addition to my room."

"Oh really?" Donna sarcastically mumbled.

"Yes," he replied honestly, holding off from pressing down on the button.

He finally had a chance to really observe her this time around instead of seeing her through windows. Nothing had changed dramatically, but he sensed that something internally did. There was something off. Like she was keeping something not just from him, but from herself.

It reminded Harry a lot of what he was doing. Of course what it was that he was trying to keep away, was something that in a few minutes, would permanently fade away. Regardless, the feeling of relief at seeing her mirrored emotions was immense. It was good knowing that she was just as on edge with their relationship as he was.

Before Donna had a chance of replying something that would most likely have been witty and insulting at the same time, Harry pressed down on the teleporter.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

The Time Lord desperately wished that the second time he kidnapped Donna, she would have been easier to contain. Or certainly easier to manage since he had the easy task of only cuffing her wrists in handcuffs instead of forcing rope around her that she somehow had a marvelous ability to get out of.

However, his belief was shot down because as soon as Donna recognized the feeling of teleporting, she relaxed. This caught the Time Lord so strongly off guard, but his association with the act was uncanny.

When she headbutted him as soon as they landed, Harry remembered just why the act seemed repetitive. She'd done it on the first night she came to the house.

Scurrying away, Donna stumbled back in the main room, carefully keeping watch on Harry.

"Listen, just tell me what you want. You don't have to bloody kidnap me to get it. I would have helped you regardless."

Stumbling up, Harry mockingly asked, "And why would you have done that?"

Hesitating, Donna tiredly shouted, "Because whether you believe it or not, I care about you!"

And with her words, it felt like Harry had been punched in the stomach. There was no dishonesty, no double meaning behind what she'd said. It took only one search of her eyes to know that. The passion behind her statement, truly boggled his mind.

"I'm not in a very stable state, as you can so obviously observe," Harry pointed out, taking small steps toward her. Her proclamation inspired him to remember that it was Donna who he was talking to, not the Doctor.

"Don't care," Donna stated.

"Alright then, Donna Noble. I'll trust put all my trust in you from here on out. In fact, I'll even give you my word that I won't kill anymore humans. All you have to do," Harry explained, "is let me put these handcuffs on you."

Donna's eyes widened as she backed away some.

"Not for those purposes!" Harry angrily commented, ignoring all thoughts of how appealing her thoughts probably were.

"And when you cuff me, you'll what?"

"Ask for your help. I just can't risk you leaving, not right now. I've been patient enough, waiting for you. My patience is wearing thin and I don't know what happens when it runs out. But if it's anything like it was before, then people will start dying."

"Like it was before?" Donna questioned. "It's different then?"

Harry felt like he'd just accidentally fell into a trap, forcing himself to admit that he was a different man than he was before.

"Yes. But like I said," Harry insisted, "I need you to let me put on these hand cuffs."

Observing the Time Lord, Donna was at a loss of what to do. The teleporter laid far behind him, her way of escape would easily be blocked by Harry, and her heart was racing a mile a minute, insistent on helping him. If not, he could potentially start killing again. Worse than that, he would make her late for the wedding.

Bloody hell, the wedding! If she wasn't back in time, not only would her mum kill her, but it would all have been for nothing. All the arrangements, all the decorations, all the elaborations and lies. Shaun would see just how big of a liar she was and she'd be leaving Jack at the altar. Even though the wedding wasn't real, Donna never wanted to do that to anyone.

"Fine. I'll allow you to do this. But I swear, no funny business, spaceboy! Or else I'm going to actually make good on my offer and cut your bits off."

Slightly surprised, and his groin hurting just from her statement, Harry approached the redhead with the handcuffs. Gently, he placed each of her wrists into the cuffs before locking them around.

"You lied to me," Donna laughed softly after a moment of silence, meeting his eyes with amusement.

"How?" Harry asked in confusion.

"You said next time that you kidnapped me, you'd steal me in the night with a bottle of chloroform over my face."

A strange pang rumbled inside Harry's hearts, as he couldn't help but comment on her observation.

"There's always next time," he proclaimed with a wink, leading her to the same chair she'd been tied to a week prior.

Taking a seat, Donna wasn't sure what to make of her situation. Had she just damned herself or did Harry honestly need her help? She trusted him against her will, but that didn't mean that she could be wrong.

"So," Donna began, peering up at the standing Time Lord, "what do you need my help with?"

Harry struggled to smile, but it wavered. Suddenly, his idea seemed stupid and not very well thought out. It had sounded so much better in his head, but to proclaim it out loud, especially to the woman who helped him get rid of it, only prolonged the tension of truly coming to terms with it.

It wasn't a decision that would make him happy, but it was one that was necessary. Because this new man that was forming, perhaps even had formed already, was too much to accept. Too difficult to acknowledge. Too...alien to be.

"Donna," Harry stated, keeping her eyes focused on his, "I want you to give me back the drumming."

Letting her jaw drop to the floor and her eyes scale into the size of saucers, Donna's only sputtered out, "What?"

"You took it away," he explained, "and it's likely you can give it back. I won't bother you anymore, won't even come in contact ever again. I just want you to put the drums back in my head."

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><p><strong>Does your face resemble this :O? Well if it doesn't, then I haven't done my job. Or perhaps you're one of those people who type in LOL with no smile on your face. Maybe you're immune to all of my plot twists, or perhaps you knew already that this was going to happen and are really just bored out of your mind? Anywho, let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	32. Roast Beef

**I love being the author of a story because I can do anything I want to it...within reason. Some days, I truly am proud of this story because I can take it anywhere I want to and while everyone who's reading may not like it, it just ends up being the way I want it to go. Does this make me selfish? Gosh, I hope not because FanFiction was created for a reason. Whether that lets you know anything beforehand, I'm not sure. But, I am trying to make this next chapter something believable because what Harry just asked Donna, was pretty huge. So of course emotions will be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Thank you for the reviews and enjoy!**

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><p><strong><strong>Roast Beef<strong>**

"You've got to be joking," was the first thing Donna retorted.

However, Harry's face pulled not a single muscle out of place, not a single twitch of amusement. He was coldly still and soberly honest.

"No," Donna then stated, not even thinking twice about the request.

This time, Harry was forced to make a reaction.

"You will do it."

"Don't you dare order me around!" she yelled, standing up and knocking over the chair.

Harry's features turned vicious. His eyes regressed into narrow, hostile slits while his mouth formed a cruel, dominating frown.

"Must I remind you that I am the Master?" he grounded out dangerously.

"Oh will you bloody drop it already? How thick are you?" Donna shouted, wanting to slap him but unable to because of her cuffed wrists.

"Do it or I will kill you."

Stilling, Donna met his chipped, hard brown eyes. They were frostier and more imposing then she'd ever seen. A relentlessly glacial shield of hatred. Hatred for what exactly? Donna wasn't sure, but she doubted that it was truly directed toward her. This hatred was something deeper, something different.

When Harry had threatened once more to kill her, Donna realized it was just that. A threat. Or so she hoped.

Although up to this point, most of her assumptions had been accurate about the blond man, it didn't change the fact that he was like a bipolar madman. Sometimes he'd surprise her with his actions, other times he'd do them only to spite her. To be honest, Donna knew she was pretty lucky to have made it this far with Harry and not have to have dealt with his true anger. The anger of a Time Lord.

But glancing across his rigid features, Donna was momentarily unsure.

Still, this didn't prevent her from answering.

"Kill me then."

The room was deadly still at her request. The Time Lord only stared back at Donna harshly, his anger hitting a boiling point.

Without warning, he grabbed one of her cuffed arms and roughly pulled her to him. There was no gentleness in his action, but Donna didn't complain. Whatever plateau of frustration he was on, she didn't want to ruin her chance of living by saying something stupid.

"Listen Donna. Do you hear it?" he growled out, forcing her body to mold into his aggressively with his other hand.

This positioned Donna right into his body without a single crack of air between them. The last time she'd been this close to him, they were making love on the Ood Sphere.

"Do you?" he repeated once more, his voice wavering slightly.

Donna listened, unsure of what it was that she was listening for. All of her senses abandoned her, all logic she once believed to be in her arsenal, was gone. It was just her and Harry.

"I don't hear anything," Donna managed to express without fear.

"Exactly. Nothing. That is madness in itself. I am forced to listen, to hear myself think, to feel things I haven't felt in centuries. I need comfort from it. Comfort in the drums."

Slowly lifting her head, Donna struggled not to recoil at the expression that had scrambled over his face.

Brown eyes that once seemed impeccable, were now displaying a lost sense of self. His handsome face, for once, seemed to divulge his age exactly, and then some. The wisdom and knowledge he carried, tore at his features like ravaged beasts.

"You hate the drums," she acknowledged hesitantly.

"Yes. But they were also protecting me."

"Protecting you? From what?"

"All of this," Harry motioned suddenly with the hand that had been encasing Donna's arm.

Glancing at his hand that had pointed at her and then himself, the redhead leaned her face closer to Harry's, stopping just short of reaching his lips.

"I could never heal a man that remains so blind."

The wisdom of her words were breathed softly onto Harry's lips, his eyes fluttering shut at the near contact.

However, whatever spell had enthralled him, was soon shaken off as Harry flung the redhead backward. Luckily for her, she'd managed to not lose her footing but now had back the same angry Time Lord from moments before.

"I'm going to make you blind if you don't give the drums back right now!" he screamed, fury shaking his body.

"I'd rather die," Donna stated.

It was with surprise that she realized just how true her words were. Like a string of folded memories, the days she'd spent with Harry, were revealed to her once again. This time, a missing link was unearthed.

Not only had Harry been heading for this healing for a long time, but he'd also need her to have him recognize just exactly what was happening. The drums, Donna understood, were his peace. His comfort. Without them, emotions that ventured close to his heart, were revealed. Were forced to be acknowledged.

Harry Saxon was vulnerable without the drums.

But what emotions were hiding so close to his heart that Harry feared to come to terms with them? It wasn't just the fact that he was changing into a better man. A man who saw his own goals and passions. It was something deeper.

Glancing back up at the silent man who hadn't replied to her statement, Donna curiously searched his face again.

_What's he hiding? What does he care about so much that it scares him? That it would make him want to put the drums back into his head? Just so they would prevent him from thinking about it, from pursuing it, from needing it._

And like a freight train, it hit her.

_"What have I already got? I mean, I appreciate your sentiments about finding someone after you. But to be honest, it's difficult to imagine somebody would love me as strongly and passionately as you did. And I'd love them back just as equally. In fact, I see myself spending the rest of my love life, alone."_

_"All I'm going to say," Lee cryptically answered, "is that sometimes the greatest seduction, is of the heart."_

Then again with the Doctor.

_"I believe it though. You see so much good in him. You continue to see it even when I get sidetracked from it. That takes a woman with a great heart to allow him in."_

_"What are you implying?"_

_The Doctor leaned back on the wall and muttered, "The greatest seduction, is of the heart. Blimey, even Lee had it figured out."_

Finally, Lee's note.

_It's great, isn't it? Loving someone without even knowing it. Only makes the surprise that much more interesting when you finally acknowledge it._

_Always remember Donna, the love we carried with us, will never die. But because I have, does not mean that your ability to do so, should. Acknowledge this: the greatest seduction, is of the heart._

Harry loved her. If not that, then greatly cared about her.

But no. That was ridiculous. Harry was evolving into a different man, but certainly not this soon. Not this much. She'd annoyed him to no end. Shagged him just to get back at the Doctor. Slapped and hit him around. Continuously kept him from hurting others. How could he love her?

_The greatest seduction, is of the heart. You weren't kidding, Lee. But honestly, couldn't you have left me a set of instructions with your words?_

"I will beg you, if I must," he began.

"Don't bother."

"I will force myself into your mind in order to get the deed done."

"Force away."

"I will kill you."

"Then kill me," Donna gently encouraged.

Harry inhaled in agitation, his hand crackling once with blue lightning.

"My ability doesn't work like that," she remarked.

"You don't know that," he almost pleaded.

"It doesn't. It heals what it was meant to. Not to hurt or to spite or to curse. It heals because the individual needs to transform. They need to move on and to embrace the person they could always be. This comfort thing that you find in the drums is absolutely ridiculous. You always chide humans for showing weakness. Well look at you, a scared little boy, wanting to hide inside your drums rather than face yourself."

A pang of guilt hit Donna as she said the last part, remembering her lie to Shaun. She didn't exactly face that situation the way she was supposed to, but that could be later argued after the wedding.

"I am not a scared little boy," Harry grounded out, taking a step toward her.

"Really? Prove it then. Face yourself. Face whatever it is that the drums would normally shut out."

The Time Lord paused, staring down at himself quickly. So much confusion and uncertainty was bombarding him. Threats that he made toward Donna, he already knew he wasn't going to carry out. But her words made him want to do exactly as she'd said.

"I don't know what I am," he calmly managed to breathe out despite the intense racing of his hearts. "Without the drums, I don't recognize myself."

"Harry," Donna related, "I think you were changing into this man, even with the drums. Just the sole act of not killing the Doctor or any other humans in two years is a bloody marvelous accomplishment in itself. I know you don't see it that way and maybe the drums would have eventually led you to kill again without remorse, but you're stronger than them. Because your eyes were opened to what your people had done to you...I think you were able not to take comfort in the drums, but in yourself. The man that was always there, even before the drums were."

The blond stared at Donna in slight amazement, impressed secretly at how encouraging her words were. Stranger still was maybe there was a hidden truth inside of what she'd said. Where once he didn't understand why it was so difficult to kill a human, perhaps now that puzzle was filled. Could it be true that he was already transforming into someone different? Oh it wasn't out of the question, but how was it that the process seemed to have sped up in less than two weeks?

Glancing up at Donna, Harry had his answer. It was something he had overlooked just because he was so concerned with what was happening to himself. All along, the answer had been in front of him. And not only that, but the woman had told him. She had thrown Donna into his path purposefully.

At first, Harry didn't truly understand why. Donna was just a human. If anything, the shagging was good.

But after their last contact on the Ood Sphere, something had shifted inside of him. Something regarding how close he had allowed her to become and what seduction really was. It had been steadily building, a great, complicated ball of emotions, actions, and conversations. As time went by, he'd not only grown closer to her, but trusted her far more than he trusted himself at times.

He had even considered a relationship with her. One where he might be able to finally be happy. But that thought was uprooted after coming to the conclusion that the only way to be "happy" was to have the drums back. Years of mindless killing, ruthless manipulation, and heartless rage had consumed him, trapped within the confines of the drums. Nowhere out, nowhere to go. Only able to be released through cruel actions and dictations. Is that really the man that he wanted to stay? Especially when he had an opportunity to change.

Part of him that had grown surprisingly miniscule in the past two weeks, agreed. It was easy to not have to consider others pain. It was even easier to rampage life without consequences. Having such a great power as that, never opened him up to unnecessary betrayal. Betrayal he'd felt upon learning the Time Lord's actions of putting the drums in his head.

Searching the redhead's face, the other part of Harry, far more titanic, disagreed vehemently. He wanted her so badly. A woman who could open his eyes to himself, remain defiant when death stared her in the face, and cared about his happiness. She would have had to with the actions she'd taken. Even willing to place her self blindly into his grasp with no promise of surviving.

The future version of him had fell in love with her. He even brought back a law far older than most planets in existence, just so that he could change not only his fate, but hers. Still, two questions lingered inside of him. If he allowed this new man to take a hold of him, what would that entitle? Would he be a good clone of the Doctor?

That thought truly made him shudder in revolt. No matter how he changed, the Doctor's ideals would strictly remain the Doctor's. But would he be a heroic figure for good? Again, a shudder broke through him. It wasn't that he despised anything good. Instead, it almost seemed like having so much darkness in him for so long, made him cringe whenever the word was brought up. Only time could tell of what consequences and morals he'd adapt and adopt.

And could he allow himself to love her? What an abnormal notion. Still, he already knew that he wouldn't harm her. Somebody who had helped him and fascinated him and infuriated him in three days was difficult to throw away.

He certainly could hold on to her if he wished. But then again, did she really feel the depth of exactly what he felt in regards to her? Did it matter? Of course. Despite how much fascination he held with her, Harry wasn't a man to enjoy a one way relationship. That kind of evil never quite settled itself into him.

"Could you uncuff me?" Donna questioned, partly nervous, partly commanding in her request.

"Handcuffs suit you," he replied, a salacious smile gracing his lips.

Donna rolled her eyes.

"Glad to have you back," she muttered dryly.

"I've always been here," Harry answered, fiddling in his pockets for the key.

"I'm not going to change my answer," Donna stated after a moment. "Even if I could bring the drums back, I'd rather die than take away the happiness you're allowing yourself to have."

"And what happiness is that?" he replied, inserting the key into the lock of the cuffs.

"The happiness that comes with a liberation of pain. No more having to listen to your mind fight against you. No more drums to hide you from yourself. And hopefully, less frequent nightmares."

Harry studied Donna carefully, letting the handcuffs fall to the floor with a clamor.

"How do you know about the nightmares?"

Swallowing down the slight anxiety that overtook her, Donna explained, "On the first night I slept with you, when I woke up, you were muttering things under your breath in pain. Twisting around the bed and such. It's what made me place my hand on you and then take away the drums."

"Did I say anything?"

"Only short snippets of words. Something was hurting you...and then you called out the Doctor's name."

"Really?"

This was asked with slight indignation, as if he couldn't quite believe it.

"The Doctor's _real_ name. Theta."

"And you know his name how?"

"He told me."

When Harry growled, Donna had to keep herself still. It was so unexpected that it nearly had her tumble over.

"What? He trusted me enough to divulge that sort of information."

Harry swallowed down his rage. He'd never even thought of competition. Of course Donna was a brilliant woman and with someone like the Doctor to acknowledge that brilliance, certainly would have her become a necessity to him. However, it didn't help the anger that consumed him. What was it? Jealousy? Wouldn't be the first time, nor the last.

But the thought of the Doctor doing something as sentimental and important as telling Donna his real name, truly showed the connection he had with her. And that...unnerved him.

"I'm going to get going then," Donna stated, taking a step backward from the Time Lord who'd been eyeing her intensely for the past few minutes.

Panic struck Harry. There he was, scaring her off with his growling again. He didn't even get out all the things he wanted to say to her. What he wanted to say to her wasn't even properly formed in his mind. What was he going to say to her?

"Just promise me something," she proclaimed, sliding her hand into his.

"Yes?" Harry replied, his conscience yelling at him to do something, anything to get her to stay just for a few more minutes until he thought of something to convey what it is he felt.

"Embrace the man that's coming forth. He might be intimidating and odd, but he's who you are. Who I've seen from the moment I first saw you. Well...after the Christmas Day fiasco. I mean "Master race"? That's got to be a new type of egotism in my books. Oi," Donna laughed, clutching her head with her other hand, "I just thought of something completely inappropriate. Involving...you don't want to know. Anyway, I might or might not see you around then."

Harry stood still, saying nothing. This should have indicated to Donna the turmoil he was feeling, but she didn't pick up on it. She hated to think it, but a part of her assumed that he was going to keep trying to find a way to get the drums back in his head. Unsure as to how strong his will was, Donna knew that he was annoyingly persistent. Hopefully, he was also annoying intelligent and took her advice.

"I'm going to go then," Donna repeated once more, struggling to release her hand from Harry's firm grip that had developed.

She ventured a look at his face, ignoring the blush that protruded at seeing his neck. The man definitely had a sexy neck. Not to mention all of that stubble that had come back since he'd shaved on the Ood Sphere.

_Woah, calm down there Donna. You should not be thinking about Harry when you're getting married to Jack tomorrow. Now that sounded strange. Two weeks ago and I wouldn't have known either one. Bad Donna!_

"I promise," Harry finally said, releasing her hand.

He said it with such somberness that Donna had to do a double take. She believed his promise, but there was still something stirring inside of him. Something that kept her reluctant from taking her leave. But, she had to. There was a wedding to be a part of and a future to set. Her time in Harry's life was over.

Smiling, Donna turned around and walked to the door. That same feeling of waiting for something to happen, returned full force. It was gnawing into her back, wanting her to turn around.

Donna remained facing forward however, her hand on the door knob. It was a bit silly that she was going to have to walk around London in nothing but her pajamas, but staying with Harry was unthinkable. Too much tension and enticement was rampant in the air.

"Roast beef," Harry announced suddenly.

Her hand slipping on the door knob from his outburst, Donna spun around to look at the Time Lord.

"What?"

"Roast beef. A surprisingly tasty, human food. First thing I ate at my wedding."

Grinning, Donna took a few steps back toward Harry.

"Lucy wanted it," Harry explained, noticing her quizzical eyebrows. "Still, a very delicious food. It surprised me because up to that point, I found humans to be the most disgusting race imaginable. But then I tasted roast beef and I was pleasantly surprised with a human's knowledge of spices. It was flavorful and tasted very good. So good in fact that Lucy noticed how attached to it I'd become and withheld for an unnecessarily long time, just exactly who cooked it. After my wedding, all other roast beef meals paled in comparison to the weddings."

"Does this have a point?" Donna laughed.

"Oh yes. See Lucy was quite overbearing at times. Not the worst human in the world, but the wedding was hell. Showing me off, forcing me to mingle with crowds of stinky, smelly, overweight cows. It was atrocious. But I had to have her in my good books so that-."

"Wait, wait. You're trying to tell me," Donna interrupted, "that you only kept your wife around because of roast beef?"

"Well...yes. Eventually, she gave me the name of the chef who had conceived it. Unfortunately," Harry commented, "this was after I'd taken over the Earth and to my dismay, the chef wasn't nearly as good at living as I believed him to be. Needless to say, the Toclafane were much better with their knives than he was."

Donna's mind spun at his tale, unsure if he was lying or not.

"Alright, go on."

"After the Doctor so...glowingly made his entrance back into his youthful, idiot self and set time back, I was unhappy, to say the least. Not only was I going to be held accountable for my actions, but I'd be held without any roast beef."

"You're joking."

"What? Every villain has their quirks."

"Okay, okay. Maybe I'm just bitter since my mum has burnt and over salted every roast beef she's ever attempted to make."

"My hearts go out to you."

"Thanks."

"Right...back to my story. So then there was this whole waiting two years for my fanclub to resurrect me bit. Then my ex wife becoming a fierce-some beast while I was gone."

"I'd imagine prison does that to people," Donna answered with a pointed look.

"Perhaps I should have sent her there sooner."

"Go on before I smack you."

"She really was nothing."

"Are you kidding me? She's my bloody hero!"

"What? How?" Harry asked angrily.

"Not only did she put up with your whining about ruling the world, but also, your disastrous attempts at seduction. I'd give that woman a medal if she was here right now."

"For your information, Miss Noble, Lucy was very responsive to my advances."

"Was this before or after you drugged her?"

This time, Harry was the one to roll his eyes.

"Stop being childish."

Donna narrowed her eyes at his request.

"Coming from the man who only stayed with his wife because of roast beef? You have got to sort out your priorities."

"Okay, so we'll just skip to the part where I went out in seach of food. After the botched resurrection, I was a tiny bit hungry."

"Before or after you ate some humans?"

The look Harry shot her made Donna want to stifle giggles like a mischievous school girl.

"That isn't an essential part to the story. The point is that I discovered that the chef also had a restaurant. Not too fancy but not to poor."

"Roast Beef R Us?"

"No, it was called Le Bef."

"Was he french?"

"Irrevocably so."

"Figures."

"I didn't kill him, if that's what you're thinking. He was too precious to live."

This sounded like a fact, rather than a statement. Donna found herself realizing that maybe the Doctor should learn this roast beef recipe that Harry had liked so much, just so he'd be guaranteed his life.

"So what did you do?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. "I never entered the restaurant."

"Why not?"

"I didn't find the need to at the time. Plus, exposing myself to so many humans would bound to get the government on my trail again."

"Would you have eaten the roast beef or the humans?"

"You are just the candle to my wind, aren't you?"

He said this with a good humor that came completely out of the new man inside him.

"Just a question. Although, I am thankful that your lust for human flesh has calmed down."

"Not all my lust," Harry mumbled under his breath, throwing Donna a searing glance.

Slightly weary at the sudden invasion of his eyes, Donna crossed her arms with an air of finality.

"And the moral of this story is that you'd do anything for roast beef?"

"In a nutshell."

"Unbelievable. The Doctor, Martha, even Jack, could have defeated you by just holding the chef randsom in exchange for the Earth."

"Perhaps it wouldn't have worked that well," Harry answered. "But I most certainly would have considered it."

"Why tell me this story then?"

"Because I didn't..." he began, his fingers twitching slightly. "At the time, I didn't have a reason to go there. It's been two years and things have calmed down considerably."

"So you find the need to go visit your favorite chef?"

"Yes."

"Good luck then."

"I want you to go."

Donna paused, taking in what he had just said in confusion.

"Go get roast beef for you?"

"No. With me."

"Oh, so you're still nervous about being seen then. Alright, I'll go get some with you."

"No. It's a restaurant. I want you to-."

"We'll call an order in. Simple."

"Donna! I want you to go to the restaurant with me. I want to sit down with you at one of the tables and enjoy one of the best meals I've ever had, with you. Then, I'm going to brag most likely about how I was right and that your mother is a bad cook."

"Oi, I'm the only one who can insult my mum's cooking."

"You haven't answered my question."

"What question was that?"

Harry resisted the urge to smack himself in the face. She was being cheeky and frustrating, two of his favorite combinations on her.

"Will you go out to dinner with me some night?"

Donna's lips formed an O. He didn't just ask her to dinner! He didn't just ask her to dinner! He bloody did! He asked her to have dinner with him.

Harry Saxon, former prime minister who ruled the world with an iron fist. The man who hated the Doctor, hated most of the human race, and prized roast beef over his wife. The very same man was asking her to have dinner. It was literally inconceivable. Donna would have never imagined it in a million years.

"I'm not going to shag you if we do go out to dinner."

"I never expected you to," Harry replied.

"And if we ever went out, it's to remain strictly platonic. I've got enough problems with men already."

Thinking of her wedding, Donna cringed at the reality of it. She was planning on having dinner with the man she shagged, after her wedding. Life truly was a mystery to her sometimes. But, she couldn't deny her intrigue. It must have taken Harry a lot of strength to have asked her something like that. Especially relaying a story that eventually led up to the question. It honestly made her feel a bit light headed.

"I'll keep my hands to myself," Harry promised.

He was twisting the truth slightly, using his hands as the central play on words. His mouth was still up for discussion as well as other parts of his body.

"I'd like to see that," Donna muttered.

"Then meet me tomorrow night. Eight perhaps?"

"I can't. Not tomorrow," Donna quickly explained. "I'm busy."

With my wedding, Donna wanted to say but didn't. Letting in Harry about her wedding tomorrow could be one of the most catastrophic things she could ever do. There was no secret that Harry hated Jack. Maybe even more than the Doctor. If he was to find out that she was marrying him, even for the sake of fake nuptials, the trust she'd built with him, could shatter faster than a glass vase.

And right now, the last thing she wanted to do was lose his trust. Donna felt that it was a very precious and very rare thing to gain, especially from a man whose emotions switched on and off like a light switch.

"Friday then?"

"If I can get out of the house," Donna agreed.

Her statement couldn't have been more true. She'd have to say goodbye to Shaun for good, say goodbye to her gramps and the Doctor since they were going to begin their excursion that day, say goodbye to Jack and his team who were going to head back to Torchwood, and then to Martha and Mickey whose vacation from UNIT was officially over. On top of all that, there was wedding gifts that Donna for once, would guiltily receive as well as trying to figure out what she was going to do with her life.

"It was a mistake asking," he stated, a shield of indifference quickly beginning to form.

"No. No!" Donna shouted, walking toward him to prove her point. "It's just a bit...unexpected. You go from threats to asking me to dinner. It's all a bit much to process."

"I'm just embracing the man that's coming forth."

"And he's telling you to ask me to dinner?"

"Actually, he was going to kidnap you and then ask you to dinner since he's particularly good at the kidnapping part."

"Why am I not surprised?" Donna sighed, noticing the distance she'd covered. There was only a few feet in between herself and Harry.

"Can I think about it?"

"No."

"Blimey, you're worse than Shaun."

"Who's Shaun?"

Donna pretended not to see his jaw clench at the question, instead opting for changing the subject.

"Why do you want to have dinner with me? I mean if you really think about it, it's all a bit strange."

"Then don't think about it."

"I'm serious, Harry. I believe that you can change. But that doesn't mean that you might not get thoughts back into your mind about killing."

Harry recognized her hesitance and firmly understood it. It was the same thing he felt. Could he really promise Donna that he wouldn't hurt anyone or change back into his old self within the blink of an eye?

"I want to have dinner with you," Harry began in frustration, then calmed his tone, "because I'm better around you. I'm not so conflicted or torn up. Everything feels easier and I allow myself to change with you."

And once he'd said it, Harry was incredibly glad he did. They were the words that he had been struggling to process for not just the whole night, but since he'd last left her. It was true. He was not only better around her, but he felt happier and it didn't all have to do with the change.

Alas, the was the other part he had yet to admit to her. The true gravity in which he cared for her. He didn't quite understand it himself, but he knew it was genuine. He felt it was genuine.

"If you need me to keep you from losing yourself, then I'll meet you wherever you want, whenever you want," Donna finally answered.

It was the answer that she should have given the Doctor upon the first time he'd asked her to travel with him. But his time was over and Harry's time was beginning. How often she could insert herself into his life, Donna wasn't sure. Did he want her there for a short amount of time or a long? Even more important, could she really just enter and exit his life whenever he called for it?

Despite her telling him it was to be a platonic dinner, Donna felt like she'd spoken too soon. Whether she liked it or not, there were still unnamed feelings bubbling within her whenever she was around Harry.

"Then Friday it is," he spoke gratefully, lifting his hand up near her face.

However, he made no mood to touch her. His hand only lingered near her face.

Donna sighed, knowing she was going to regret her next action in some size, shape, or form.

Closing her eyes briefly, she leaned into his touch and then met his eyes.

The result was immediate. Harry's brown eyes erupted in graciousness and lust. A strange mix but very much there. The latter especially since Harry had been particularly against enjoying Donna's presence and body far more than he needed to.

_Shit! Shit! What am I doing? I've got to get back home. Wedding's tomorrow. Mum's going to kill me if I'm late._

Then like a switch had been pulled, all of Donna's conflicting thoughts ceased. Without really thinking, she stepped forward, set her hand on his cheek and after glancing into his eyes once, she kissed him.

It was perhaps the first time that Donna had kissed him instead of he kissing her. Bigger still, the complete and utter relief that engulfed each occupant of the kiss, was monumental. It had felt like they'd been shying away and denying each other for too long.

To Donna, the kiss felt so raw and delicious. Like she had needed it for so long without even realizing it. Without allowing herself to have it.

To Harry, well, he only wrapped his arms around the redhead, pushing his tongue against hers. It was no secret that he had been denying himself this for far too long. All the dreams he'd had of her since she left, the deep craving that had overloaded just from her scent alone, and all the emotions that raged whenever she was around only further spurred his fascination of her.

The world could haven been ending and Harry would have done nothing to pull away from the kiss.

Finally, as seconds turned into minutes, Donna was the first one to pull away, her lips viciously red.

"We can't," she immediately proclaimed before Harry pulled her in for another kiss.

Once again, Donna pulled away. Harry was starting to think that maybe, it was time to get his seduction skills out. Only this time, they wouldn't be a seduction for her body, out of revenge. This would be a seduction in which he would win something much more precious.

"I have to get going," she tried again, actually budgeting from his arms half a centimeter.

However, her progress was short lived.

"Tell me again that you need to go," he suggested, dipping his head near her neck, sliding her hair to the side, and moving his tongue agonizingly slow over her pulse point.

Surveying her neck again, Harry couldn't help the primitive grin that reached his lips. His bruises and markings were still littered across her pale skin, some even having the faint remnants of his teeth in them. There was something so right about it, but Harry couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I've got to go," Donna firmly stated.

She couldn't give herself into this. It didn't mean anything, and certainly not to Harry. Her feelings for him were definitely stronger than she wanted them to be, even bordering on something unheard of, but that meant nothing to him.

"Now, look me in the eyes and tell me," Harry implored, holding her face in both of his hands as his brown eyes met her indecisive blue ones.

Donna desperately wanted to. Or perhaps she didn't, but she needed to. The way he held her, the way he looked at her, the way he even touched her, made her fall ever so slowly into him. There was still that possibility that he loved her, but Donna wasn't sure. And that, she promised herself, would never be her downfall again.

"Look, Harry. You know we can't do this. We're just acting out these feelings and eventually they'll pass. I don't want that. I need to help you with your life and move on with mine. This attraction we have toward each other, isn't something that's healthy for us to pursue."

Questioningly, Harry searched Donna's eyes. His hearts were pounding unnaturally fast. He couldn't quite believe that she was denying herself something she wanted. But then again, he caught that same indecision inside of her.

_She really doesn't know how I feel about her._

"You're the most healthy thing in my life and I'll be a bigger idiot than the Doctor if I just let you go."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Yes. And, it's supposed to tell you just exactly how I feel about you."

The redhead raised her eyes hopefully, listening to his sentence again. Everything was open for interpretation, but Donna knew it was too soon for him yet to say it, if he wanted to. And from the way things were happening, there was no doubt that he wanted to say something.

"How do you feel about me?"

She had to know once and for all before she kissed him again.

Harry laughed sardonically, still surprised that she didn't understand.

"Let's just say that you are one hundred times more important than my roast beef, and a million times more important than ruling the world."

Donna grinned, realizing exactly what he meant.

"Alright then. I suppose that'll do for now."

With that, she met his lips again and allowed him to pull her out of the main room and into his bedroom.

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><p><strong>This chapter just kind of had a mind of its own. It never wanted to sit still, but I certainly did want to end it with a reconciliation. We're also back to awkward Harry, dealing with his awkward feelings. And what I'm doing with their emotions...oh boy, I don't even know if I can keep them straight anymore. Basically, neither of them are ond hundred percent sure if the other one feels just as strongly for them, especially since Harry has decided to embrace this new person he's becoming. And the whole roast beef bit is actually from a personal experience. There was this senior that I was in love with my freshman year and I spent the whole year, trying to garner up the guts to speak to him face to face. Finally, at the end of the year, I tried, but my words got tumbled and I got tongue tied. Instead, all that came out was "roast beef". I don't know if he heard it since I had said it so fast and I was kind of a few feet away from him. Deep inside, I hope that he didn't even know I was speaking to him because that would have been very embarrassing first words. Anywho, I'd really like to know as always, what you're thinking in a review since this chapter in my opinion, has definitely been a bit crazy :).<strong>


	33. Ways to Satisfy A Crazy Lover

**Yep, I'll admit, I got distracted. Well...scared out of my mind to be exact about writing this chapter. How does one write a changing Master? It's utter blasphemy. Plus, it didn't help that I got into another tv show which I began writing a rough draft of a fanfic for considering there are two people in it whom I believe should have ended up together. But, eventually I got off from my hiatus and realized that this story needed to be written for 42 people who have this story on story alert. So, thanks for the reviews from the previous chapter and I hope you guys know that you keep me inspired to keep on writing. When you're on a dry spell and in danger of losing interest in your story, inspiring reviews are one hell of a motivator. Enjoy.**

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><p><strong>Ways to Satisfy A Crazy Lover<strong>

"Did you just bite me again?" Donna gasped out, running her fingers through Harry's messy, blond hair.

Harry hid his guilty grin as he lathered up at his bruising bite, attempting to release his mouth from her neck. It was very scrumptious and very addicting, and all Harry wanted to do was mark it up from jaw to shoulder. However, at Donna's protest and his own body's because the only thing they'd done since he dragged her onto his bed was kiss, Harry found himself leaving her neck for a short while.

"I thought you liked it when I bite," he questioned innocently, skimming his fingers over the smooth skin underneath Donna's shirt.

"Not when tomorrow, I'm supposed to be getting m-," Donna paused suddenly, stilling her body as Harry stopped short of her lips.

"What's happening tomorrow?"

He leaned in and kissed her, unaware of the panic spreading over her body.

"Picture. I'm getting my picture taken tomorrow. Family portrait," she lied.

To stop from any more questions, Donna emphasized her impatience by thrusting her hips up as she brought Harry down for another shattering kiss that left both of them reluctantly needing oxygen.

"Eager are we?" he muttered into her ear, trying to calm his lower body down.

With how intense the evening had been going and Donna's very obvious intent, Harry was slightly worried that he wasn't going to last long. This time, he was determined to make it like it was on the Ood Sphere, only he'd be less uncertain about what he wanted. Donna's actions still seemed to drive him into a frenzy far quicker than previous encounters.

"Just a bit, yeah," she laughed into his shoulder, allowing him to meet her eyes.

Donna was momentarily blown away to find herself underneath the blond Time Lord once again. It was incredibly odd how things like this ended up happening between herself and him. Almost as if their destinies were permanently intertwined.

Ten minutes later and the pair were both naked, throwing some very interesting sounds out in the heated air.

Harry had replaced his sharp bites with constant licking. Licking her neck, licking her arms, licking her fingers and even licking at her navel.

"This would be such an inappropriate time for you to suddenly get hungry," Donna ground out, grasping on to Harry's shoulders as he kissed and nipped on the underside of her jaw.

"Just want-," KISS , "to savor-" KISS "each taste."

Softly moaning in response, Donna studied Harry's naked form and smiled very appreciatively. Definitely a fine specimen. Each space and crevice fit perfectly between the two, their bodies reminiscent of familiar puzzle pieces. The harsher they were pushed together, the more erotic the feeling of fulfillment hit them.

Without warning, Harry grabbed Donna's wrists and pinned them above her with one hand. By the time Donna was ready to argue, Harry's other hand began traveling in between them, skipping merrily over her skin.

"What are you doi-."

The rest was cut off when Harry splayed his hand over her stomach. And from then, he made no other movement, even when she tried to budge her hands out of his grip. Harry just loomed over her, pinning her hands down with one hand and keeping his outstretched hand firmly atop her stomach.

"You are," he started, pressing down ever so softly, "mine."

His emphasis on the word wasn't lost on Donna and she opened her mouth, ready to disagree on such a notion.

"Donna, I don't mean this in a way of looking down on you. I only mean this in a way where I've never quite had anyone to call my own. I am not a man to make myself vulnerable, as you've found out. This possessiveness I have toward you, is only because I'm...unsure how I would react if I were to lose you."

Studying his solemn facial features, Donna felt something inside her shake at his words. He was telling her how he felt so pointedly, but without saying those three words. Maybe because he couldn't say them yet or maybe because he was too afraid. Whatever it was, Donna was in an inward stalemate. She had never believed that Harry's feelings could evolve so quickly and honestly into what they were now. Into what he was.

As he leaned above her, a slight smile gracing his face, Donna had no idea how to reply. It almost felt like things were moving too fast for her, or that she was falling to slow. What her feelings were now, could they even match up to those of Harry's?

"Are you asking my permission or stating a fact?" Donna awkwardly asked, very aware of the naked hips sitting upon her.

Harry smiled in a manner that unnerved Donna.

"A little bit of both."

He then thrust into her and groaned when Donna's body shook under him.

For the next few minutes, the only sounds that could reach the air was Donna's near frantic moans as she fought for control of her hands and Harry's animalistic growls which forced him to pin her wrists even further into the mattress, hellbent on showing her just how much she meant to him.

By the time the first release came, Donna saw stars appear before her eyes. It was just at this moment that Harry let go and then reveled at the tight grip the redhead claimed him in as they rode out their release. It made him feel so much more important than he believed himself to be. The fact that she was holding on to him as if the world would tear apart if she didn't, made the pleasure for Harry reach to newly euphoric heights.

How could he ever turn his back on this woman again?

"If you ever restrain me for that long ever again, I'm going to kill you," Donna bit out in between breaths.

Harry laughed into her shoulders, content with just resting on top of her.

"And what is it with you having the impression that you can lay on me and I'm not going to die?"

"Oh Donna," Harry replied, lifting himself up on his arms to take her in, "I'm not nearly through with you yet."

Needless to say, that was the last time that Harry restrained her that night.

Sometime during their rapturous affair, Harry had pressed Donna's essence as often as he could into the bed, making sure to never rid the sheets of it ever again. If it meant that he had to smell the sheets in order to breathe a part of her in, that was fine with him. He was willing to wait as long as he could for her to come to her senses when it came to the feelings she had for him. Because if he had learned anything that night, it was that she did have feelings for him. Feelings that ran so deep and connected them on a level so unimaginable that he had a difficult time processing the gravity of them.

And while once this would have either scared him out of his wit or perhaps have seen this as an opportunity to manipulate her, this time around, Harry felt neither emotion. All he felt was a strange renewal of life take him over accompanied with a primal need to keep on marking every inch of the body which would bear the possessive streak that seemed to overtake him.

"I don't know if I can go another round," Donna breathed out, feeling the sweat trickle down her back as Harry's body rose and fell into hers.

"Just one more time," Harry promised, meeting her eyes and watching her silent acceptance.

As the air thinned out around them, Donna couldn't breathe in anything except the taste of the man above her. So exotic and rich and changing. Like a fountain of trickled spices and foreign life, eager to possess her. Eager to make her so much more than just Donna Noble.

"I want you to-," Harry tried to gasp out, caught in between keeping his eyes bolted shut or wide open.

"Yes?" Donna nearly whispered out, lost in the erratic motions and beautiful movements in between the two.

"Say my name."

Donna met Harry's eyes in confusion, slightly reluctant in the command but unsure if she'd be able to refuse it.

"I want you to say-," he broke off, "Koschei."

The redhead felt an enormous twinge rupture through her, causing her to yell as Harry drove deeper into her. His command nearly made her faint right then and there, reeling in the shock of just how deep his trust truly ran with her. He'd given her his real name during an act known for mind riddling passion and intimacy. She didn't know if it could have gotten any deeper than that.

In mere minutes, Donna had her mind made up.

With the final thrust which kept both bodies together as firmly as a tightrope, sweat and life playing a raw game of metamorphism, Donna pulled Harry's head down to hers and stammered out for all it was worth, his name softly into his ear.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Are you going to leave in the middle of the night again?" Harry questioned, his eyes losing sight as slumber began to overtake his senses.

Biting her lip, Donna kept her eyes forward, unsure of what to say. Nearly ever fiber of her being wanted to promise him no, she wouldn't leave. The utter safety she felt with his arms wrapped firmly around her and legs draped over hers, was unlike any she'd felt before. But, she had also understood the implications of his request. He wanted her to stay til morning.

If that happened, Donna knew she wasn't going to get to the wedding. She probably wouldn't even get out of this house. Feelings of fire and love raged within her, frightening her slightly as to how far she'd be willing to go in order to keep herself within Harry's arms.

Somewhere above her, there was a God watching because in only a quick few minutes, Donna felt the Time Lord's calm breath on the back of her neck, indicating his descent into sleep.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Donna whispered into the room.

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><p><strong>A bit short, yeah. But, I'm working on the next chapter as we speak. The end is definitely near. Let me know what you're thinking in a review ;).<strong>


	34. Start of What Was

**This is one of those chapters I've written where I'm really hoping I didn't disappoint anybody. I'd been building up the wedding for so long and now that it's upon us, my only fear is that I didn't write it convincingly or the character's emotions, wisely. However, there's bound to be people not satisfied with my writing so I only hope that you enjoy it to the best of your abilities. Thanks for the reviews and enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Start of What Was<strong>

"My god Donna, where have you been?" Sylvia shrieked, rushing through the kitchen.

Running her hand through her newly washed hair, Donna rolled her eyes.

"I was just in the shower, mum. No need to get your head in a tangle."

"I come in to wake you up at 8, and you're not in your bed. Were you out all night?"

"So what if I was? It's my life."

"Not when you've got a marriage to get yourself ready for. Now I was able to hold Belinda here for a half hour extra, but she's booked all day so get your lazy bum in there."

"Yes ma'am," Donna sarcastically replied.

Reluctantly, Donna didn't blame her mum for worrying. Up till eight o clock that morning, she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to get home herself. Waking up in a death grip was quickly becoming a past time for the redhead, and the event following it included struggling to break free of it.

_Harry's got one hell of a grip while he's asleep._

Thankfully, she had managed to squirm her way out of his arms.

After having picked up all the discarded clothes, Donna had looked down at the sleeping blond, pondering on her next move.

There was nothing in her plans that had prepared her to deal with a formerly evil Time Lord who had developed legitimate feelings for her. It was quite literally insane. And not just that, but Donna knew that she shared feelings for him back.

Upon leaving him, even when in his own way he had asked her to stay the night before, was more of a pain for her then previously realized.

Luckily, she'd managed to trip on her way out of the bedroom, over the teleporter. Nearly broke a bone in the process, but it was a convenient way home considering that her clothes looked like she'd been hit by a train and then wrestled with a grizzly bear. Completely hampered and torn in some parts.

Glancing forlornly at Harry's naked form, Donna had found an unexplainable force that was attempting to keep her grounded. A force that whispered enticingly into her ear to put down the teleporter and crawl back into the bed with a man that cared for her more than perhaps any other man in her life ever would. She'd be a liar to say that the impulse wasn't strong, almost overwhelmingly so. But, she had duties to Jack and she'd decided that once the Shaun fiasco had calmed down, then she'd look forward to potentially figuring out just exactly where she and Harry stood with each other.

Without further question, Donna had hurriedly teleported back to her house, discovered it to be 9:30, threw herself quickly into the shower, and then listened to her mum screeching at her about bad timing.

"Honestly Donna, you've got to get your head out of the clouds. This is a big day."

"You know Donna, you could have been late for your own wedding. Is that really the kind of impression you want to leave on your attendees?"

"Donna, are you even listening to me?"

All of the constant bombardment from her mum, added in with Belinda's painful tugging at her hair, really had the redhead wishing that she hadn't teleported back.

Thankfully, her gramps came to her rescue and pulled Sylvia out of the kitchen which had been transformed into a salon for the big day.

"Sounds like nothing better go wrong today," Belinda commented after a moment, wrapping a strand of red around her finger before pinning it into place.

"No kidding. But that's my mum for you. Completely goes mental if anyone tries to interfere with her plans," Donna relayed, wincing slightly at a tug.

"Sorry, sorry. This is my first complete Italian updo. You've got fantastic hair, but I've got horribly fidgety fingers when it comes to entangling and placing the flower in. But no worries. You'll look absolutely stunning by the time I'm done with you! Just like that princess from Monaco that just got married."

Donna laughed, adapting to the slight tugs that would set her scalp tingling.

"Princess? Doubt it."

"No, you will. Sylvia showed me your wedding dress. It's absolutely magnificent. Haven't seen anything like it."

"Maybe," Donna admitted, sighing.

_Just a fake wedding. Nothing real about it. Shaun gets his proof, Jack leaves, and life goes back to normal. Or as normal as it can get considering that I slept with one Time Lord, three times. _

"Belinda, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away."

"What do you do if there's this bloke, way different than anyone you've ever been interested in, but your family and friends, save for a select few, absolutely hate him?"

"Hmm...I'd say screw em. Your quote unquote 'family and friends'. If they can't see what you see in him, then it's their loss."

Nodding slightly, Donna took in the kitchen cabinet ahead of her in silence.

"Just asking...this bloke, it's not the one you're marrying today," Belinda wondered.

"How'd you figure?"

"It seems like your family practically adores him. Specially Sylvia."

"Yeah, I suppose they do."

After another bout of silence, Belinda spoke up again.

"How bad are we talking? Like got pissed at the family reunion and made an arse of himself or he's got himself a criminal record a mile long?"

"Well," Donna hesitated, trying to delicately phrase the situation, "let's just say that his crimes include kidnapping, attempt at taking over the world...twice, and giving friend's of mine, nightmares for years after. And that, is putting it nicely."

Belinda paused in her work, staring down at Donna.

"Um...alright. Haven't heard that before. Is he capable of love?" she asked, returning back to styling.

"I didn't think he was. I was told that he wasn't. But, he is. And I...I think I love him back."

"Then you've got it bad. But, I think I'd pursue him. When you really think about it, you've only got one life to live. People get older, and that's when regret usually kicks in. If you love him just as strongly as he loves you, then I'd not be spending my time, marrying a man I don't love."

"Yeah, but I'm not actually marrying him," Donna noted, happy with her hairstylist's advice.

"What do you mean you're not marrying him?"

"Nobody told you?"

"Told me what?"

"It's not a real wedding. I'm only getting married to Jack because I lied to another bloke who I used to date, about our marriage. I didn't have it in me to break his heart."

"You're bloody joking!"

"No. I thought everybody who coordinated the wedding, knew it was fake."

"Not me. Sylvia called yesterday, requesting that I do your hair for your wedding. Never told me once that it was a fake one."

"That's odd," Donna said more to herself, than to Belinda.

"Alright," Belinda began after a few seconds, "so are you going to go after this bloke that you're in love with, after your fake wedding?"

"I think I have to."

"Good. Following your heart is one of the scariest things to do."

"Yeah," Donna replied, "especially if you've got two."

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Are you Joan?" Martha questioned from the doorway.

"Yeah. You must be Martha!" Joan beamed, inviting the woman in. "So you're probably here for your bridesmaid dress. They just came in and I hope you like champagne pink. I think it'll compliment our brown eyes perfectly."

"Wonderful," Martha exclaimed, setting her bag down as Joan unwrapped the newly shipped dresses.

"Stacy and Cady will be here around 12. But, I think since it's just us girls, we can afford to take a peek at what we're wearing."

Smiling, Martha accepted her dress and let her eyes wander over the beautifully silky design.

"It's magnificent," she breathed out, silently appraising Donna's choice in fashion.

"I hear they're nothing compared to what Donna's wearing. Said it's going to be out of this world," Joan explained, running a finger over the vine designs woven in.

"Out of this world? Why does that sound familiar," Martha mumbled humorously.

The two took in the dresses for a few more minutes longer, secretly elated to be wearing such a beautiful piece, before laying them back down on the couch.

"I've got tea on the stove. Would you like some, Martha?"

"Yeah, tea sounds great."

Five minutes later found the two discussing the wedding in the kitchen.

"I mean this bloke just shows up out of the blue. Donna's never mentioned this 'Captain' Jack Harkness. Although, he's a bloody stud, I'll admit to that."

Martha laughed, sipping some of her tea.

"Jack's a good man. Can be a bit thick, but he and Donna are a great match for each other."

"I'll say. When I came to visit last week, the two were bantering non stop. It'll be an interesting marriage, that's for sure."

The topic of Jack eventually led Joan to speak her mind on a subject that Martha found herself flabbergasted in.

"First time she told me that she was getting married, I would have sworn it was the blond bloke from the pub."

At Martha's incredulous look, Joan went on to describe her thought.

"I may not know much about love, but I do know that certain stares, certain looks, are just shared between two people who love each other. Even though Donna was pissed beyond belief, if she could have acknowledged soberly, just the kind of stares he was giving her, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have made her dizzy on her feet."

Shaking her head, Martha pondered for once, just on the belief that the Master could actually retain any feelings besides malice and evil. Could he really have loved Donna?

No. The utter thought of it seemed preposterous.

But maybe, just maybe, something was different in this future version of him.

_Why am I trying to defend his bloody actions?_

In a voice that seemed only too reminiscent of the Doctor's, her conscious replied.

_Because you're not a bad person and you look for the good in others._

Quickly brushing off the subject, Martha and Joan eventually came to the topic of the actual wedding.

"Donna's been trying to convince her mum to limit the guest list at 100. Are you bringing anyone, Martha?"

"My mum and brother. Dad's in Switzerland right now, shopping for a wedding ring. My mum and him are getting remarried again."

"That's so wonderful to hear. All you've got are divorces going about in the world. Seems like nobody really loves each other these days."

"Yeah," Martha agreed, taking in her own wedding ring as thoughts of Donna and the Master reluctantly clawed their way back into her mind.

"How about you? Any lucky bloke you're bringing?"

"Just Nigel. He's surprisingly decent, compared to most of the men I've dated."

"I've been there before," Martha knowingly grinned, easing herself into the conversation.

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"Are you actually nervous?" Ianto asked, taking in Jack's suited form.

"Me, nervous? Oh that'll be the day," Jack argued, fiddling with his tie in the mirror.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," the Doctor said, sneaking in through the door.

They were all currently inside the Cross Corner Hill reception center. On opposite ends of the building, different rooms were set up just for the two soon-to-be newlyweds. The one that Jack was currently occupying, seemed to have no air conditioning. Every few minutes, the time agent had to swipe at his hair to keep from sweat pooling.

"Not at all. Come in, Doctor."

"Wow, never thought I'd see you in a tuxedo. Never thought I'd see you in a wedding. Blimey, I'm getting old."

Grinning, Jack turned around to face his best men, both wearing noir tuxes armored with champagne pink ties.

"Glad to hear you approve."

"So when is the wedding actually starting?" Ianto questioned. "Donna's mum keeps changing the time. Or maybe I'm just getting them confused."

"Arrival time will probably be sometime around 1, and the wedding should start at 2. If I remember correctly," Jack answered, fidgeting once more with his black tie.

"And when are we going back to Torchwood?"

Glancing away from the Doctor's confused look, Jack replied, "Tonight."

Once Ianto had left to use the restroom, the Doctor met Jack's eyes.

"Are you still mad at Donna for defending the Master?"

Sighing, Jack ran his fingers through his thick hair.

"I don't know. I'm not, but then again, I know that if she pursues the Master, she's only going to end up getting hurt."

"What makes you say that?"

The Doctor was baffled by Jack's logic, until he realized the answer to his own question.

"Look, Doctor, it's not like you could have done anything to save Rose. Martha just kind of fell under your spell like I did. Donna...you had to erase her memories. It's not like you purposefully mean to hurt them, but you are a Time Lord and so is the Master, and while you don't mean to hurt them, the Master on the other hand, might. I care about Donna way too much just to allow the Master to hurt her a thousand times worse than you ever could."

Nodding his head, the Doctor pondered over Jack's words. He had every right to fear for Donna's safety when it came to the Master. He was entirely unpredictable. Still, the Doctor was almost willing to bet that Donna had changed the Master in some sort of small way.

And that, he reckoned, was all that needed to be done. One tiny change and the rest of destiny took its course.

Was it right however? Interfering with Donna's time line.

If it was a flux in time, perhaps it was. The Master was never one to let rules stop him. And if he changed them in order to go after something he cared for badly enough, then that change had to have escalated to the current version of the Master.

"Donna's here," Ianto informed from the hallway.

Jack made his way toward the door, but the Doctor stopped him.

"Can't see the bride before her wedding day."

"Oh c'mon Doctor. Fake wedding, remember?"

"Ancient rules, no exceptions," he stated, pointing a threatening finger at him.

"Could you at least tell her that I'm sorry," Jack asked.

Taking in the slightly nervous man, the Doctor nodded his head in affirmation as he made his way out the door.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"People are starting to arrive," the Doctor noted from the doorway, watching Donna apply some rogue blush to her cheeks.

Meeting his eyes in the mirror, Donna smiled.

"About bloody time."

"I've got to admit, Sylvia did an amazing job on the set up outside. Doesn't even look like a hill. Look up high enough and it seems like you're getting married over an ocean."

"Yeah? That's good," Donna acknowledged airily, placing her hands in her lap.

Striding over and pulling up a chair, the Doctor sat down next to her.

"You look absolutely beautiful," the Doctor noted, taking in Donna's radiant face, beautifully made up hair that had a few red strands hanging enticingly around her cheeks, and incredibly fit dress that sprawled like a flower over the floor.

"Thank you Theta," she replied, taking one of his hands.

Studying Donna, the Doctor still observed something off about her eyes.

"Are you alright? You seem...distant. Even if this is a fake wedding, I'd thought you would have jumped at the opportunity for free presents."

Laughing in good humor, Donna met the Doctor's eyes with her shining blue ones.

"Anytime I'm low on things I need, just have to plan a fake wedding," she replied cheekily.

A moment passed and the same odd silence replaced itself in between the two.

"I've decided on Taberu. There's no doubt in my mind that Wilf will fall in love with the planet. Long as I keep him away from the kingdoms of the east. While it's a tranquil planet, the residents in the kingdom have had a feud raging for eons concerning who could marry whom," the Doctor explained excitedly.

"There's a coincidence," she observed.

"Donna, what's wrong?" the Doctor bluntly asked, running his fingers lightly over the top of her hands.

"What makes you think something's wrong?"

"Remember who you're talking to. I know you better than your own mum does."

"Am I supposed to feel comforted by that?"

"That's open to interpretation...but you're one my best mates. The DoctorDonna. You can tell me anything," he insisted.

Exhaling a deep breath, Donna straightened her form, swiped a strand of hair out of her eyes, then turned toward the Doctor.

"Harry sort of...kidnapped me last night."

"What?" the Doctor cried, shooting up in his seat.

"Calm down, calm down," she ordered, tugging his hands back down.

The Doctor sat, but couldn't hide the wide range of emotions on his face.

"He kidnapped me because he wanted me to put the drums back in his head."

"What?" the Doctor this time shouted, springing back up.

"Alright, you've got to stop bloody doing that," Donna growled, pulling him back down into the seat.

"Sorry."

"I told him no, and that he'd have to kill me. He didn't, and we somehow got to talking about his own wedding. Before I knew it, he asked me out to dinner."

Donna noted the Doctor's impulse to jump back up, but she held him down with a firm glare.

"And then after he asked me to dinner, I kissed him. You can kind of guess where it went from there," she embarrassingly mumbled. "But that's not all. While we were...as you would say "consummating", he told me his name. His real name. He wanted me to call him that toward the very end."

The Doctor's eyebrows jumped hastily into two looming bridges. His mind was stunted at the new development.

"Before he fell asleep last night, he asked me to stay with him. But Doctor," Donna remarked, tightening her grip on the Doctor's hands, "I couldn't. Because if I did, then I would have never showed up today. I'm just so confused about what to do. My feelings for him were quite clear as were his, last night. And by being here at this wedding, abandoning him while he was asleep, makes me feel so rotten. Like some sort of call girl."

Struggling to get out what he wanted to say, the Doctor took a few minutes to accurately collect himself. However, he stopped all thoughts that were hellbent on leaving his lips, and simply said one thing.

"The greatest seduction, is of the heart."

Rolling her eyes, Donna snorted.

"That really needs to be on an intergalactic Hallmark card or something."

"The only reason I say it is because you've got your answer in front of you already. It's just up to you to decide what to do with it."

"God forbid you ever give me a straight answer," Donna joked, standing up with the eager Time Lord next to her.

"Hey," he spoke, placing a hand on each of her shoulders, "you look stunning. And this might not be real, but enjoy it like it is. After the wedding, you'll have your mind made up and I trust you to follow your heart. Where that leads you, is something only you know."

Grinning and trying to keep the tears at bay at the same time, Donna flung her arms around the Doctor's form, reveling in his support.

"You might be the only one okay with me following my heart," she softly acknowledged.

"They'll come around eventually," he promised, kissing Donna on the forehead.

With that, the two stood apart and glanced at the door.

"Oh, Jack wanted me to tell you that he's sorry."

"If he plans on having a honeymoon, then I'm sure he is."

"You know I wonder if somewhere in some parallel world, you and Jack are happily married."

"I shudder at the thought."

Right at that moment, Sylvia barged in, her features quickly shifting into awe once taking in her daughter.

"Oh Donna, you look...marvelous. If only your father was here to see this," she expressed, rushing to take her daughter's hands.

Taking his cue to leave, the Doctor winked at Donna before exiting the room.

"Thanks. I'd be nice to have dad here," Donna admitted.

"Hey, no frowning today. You're getting married!"

"Fake married. Which brings me to ask why exactly you didn't tell Belinda that the wedding was fake."

Sylvia briefly stilled before swiping her hand through the air.

"Must have skipped my mind. Quick now, everybody's taking their spots outside. I want you and dad to practice walking down the reception hall since he is going to be giving you away. Shaun is in the very first row so attempt to look the most convincing once you get past him."

"Got it," Donna stated, allowing herself to be dragged out of the room.

"And Jack has my wedding ring so no need to worry about that."

Stopping in her tracks, Donna stared at her mum in confusion.

"Your wedding ring? Mum that...are you sure? I mean Jack and I could have just gotten a flimsy, cheap one."

"Donna, I'm absolutely sure about this," Sylvia announced, brushing Donna's cheek once before pulling on her hand once more. "Besides, that ring kept your father and I together until death did us part. Just think of the wonders it will do for the two of you."

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When the chimes of Big Ben indicated it to be 1:00 in the afternoon, the majority of guests for the Noble and Harkness wedding were taking their seats on Cross Corner Hill, overlooking the rich blue Tegan Bay. Most of them marveled and gossiped about the two soon-to-be newlyweds, offering their opinion on such a quick marriage proposal.

However, the closer members of the family, argued that if it was love, then no explanation was needed.

Only a select few of the actual guests, knew it was fake. Martha, Mickey, the Doctor, Ianto, Gwen, and of course Jack himself, were the obvious few as were Wilf and Sylvia. The other guests however, remained completely oblivious to the actual happenings. They came to see a real wedding and by god were they going to see one.

Shaun, the man who had caused the complete planning of the wedding in the first place, was idly sitting at the very front, taking in the beautiful white ribbons and decorations that littered the would-be-altar. Despite having loved Donna remarkably, he understood that if her heart led her to Jack, then it wasn't anything that he could control. But this wedding was something he needed to see, just to clear his heart once and for all.

So while guests continued to pour in and mingle, about fifteen miles away on Willow Street, a certain blond Time Lord was angrily ignoring the chiming of the large clock. In fact, somewhere in his subconscious, he began to form a plan to destroy it even though it had only recently been rebuilt.

His mind did not register anything off about the day, nor about the empty spot next to him. It was only a half hour later when he tried to seek comfort in something warm, that his eyes sprang open and noticed the other half of the bed vacant.

"Can't believe she left," Harry yawned, sleep heavy in his throat.

Feeling the spot next to him, he noted that it was slightly warm. As if her presence had just been there.

Ignoring the thought that it could have just been him rolling over to that side, Harry quickly threw new boxers on and picked up pants along his way to the door. His mind was surprisingly clear and he felt happier than he had in months. There was no denying why, but he didn't want to admit it outloud yet.

Throwing his arms in the air, Harry felt a relaxing crack vibrate in his lower neck as the position he'd fallen asleep in, scurried out of his body. Then, he stopped in front of the door to the house, listened for anything out of the ordinary, before stepping out.

The street remained as empty as ever and the wind had slightly picked up with his arrival on the doorstep.

A randomly strewn leaf blew over his foot, tickling it slightly as Harry peered at the street, slightly dismayed.

So a part of him may have been a bit disappointed that she hadn't stayed the night, but it didn't mean that he was going to stop his journey for something absolutely great that had happened to him. Something great, and excuse the pun, noble. He still had a dinner with her the following night and if she didn't show up for that, then Harry would do what he did best. Kidnapping. Kidnapping Donna, to be precise.

Shivering slightly at the wind, Harry felt his feet begin to numb from the cold concrete beneath him. Deciding on making his way back to bed, he turned around to walk back in the house. However, just as Harry lifted his foot, he felt something attached to it.

Annoyingly peeling the card shaped paper off his foot, the Time Lord's eyes strayed to the note as he closed his door.

Taking in what appeared to be an invitation, Harry found his hearts stopping as he read the words written on it.

_You are cordially invited to the wedding of a lifetime between  
>Captain Jack Harkness and Donna Noble.<br>It will be held on Cross Corner Hill, just off the coast of Tegan Bay  
>on September 3, 2011.<br>This invitation permits you to bring a plus one and we only hope  
>that you come with the sole intention of watching two people<br>marry to their heart's content._

Staring away from the paper, Harry glanced at his bed.

_She isn't. _

And suddenly, the conversation from a few days ago, made sense. Donna's mother asking Jack about a tuxedo.

_She wouldn't._

Donna nearly had said it last night herself.

_She-._

And as soon as the invite was in his hand, it had vaporized from the sudden lightning that had erupted within the Time Lord's palm.

The rage that overtook him was unlike any that he'd felt before. The Doctor defeating him wasn't even this close. It was complete, uncensored, and raw fury.

Before even thinking about it, Harry shot a bolt at a chair nearby and watched it shatter into a million miniscule pieces of wood. He didn't stop there. The sofa soon met the same fate. Over and over again, Harry let out a lightning bolt at anything in sight. The walls, the bed, the window. Nothing was spared from his anger.

_She's marrying that stupid freak! That low life, inhuman, disgusting, filthy, mongrel of a freak. She's fucking marrying him!_

With a renewed fire, Harry sped up his lightning bolts, aiming at the house with such intensity that it took only minutes before he fell to his knees, breaths speeding out of his clenched jaw.

Harry didn't quite know what to do with himself, so he laid both hands flat on the floor and calmed his breaths. Each time he thought of Donna however, his breaths only accelerated.

_She's marrying the freak and yet she still slept with me. What the hell does she think she's doing?_

That in itself, puzzled him. Why would she have slept with him when she knew she was marrying-.

Another harsh breath poured through him. His only safe topic right now was Donna. Any lingering thoughts to the man she was going to marry and Harry wouldn't have been able to control his reaction. And unfortunately, the house would probably be in flames. For now, he really needed a house.

Strangely, he didn't feel betrayed. Maybe it came from the thought that there was something that the stupid freak couldn't provide Donna with, and he could. That built on to his ego a bit, knowing that in the end, she did willingly go into his arms.

_But why the freak? I knew I should have killed him. _

What was stopping him?

With a grin only too familiar of his days with the drums inside his head, Harry stood up and stared around the room.

_I'm going to kill him. And when he comes back to life, I'm going to kill him again. Then again. And again. And again._

Fighting his way toward his bedroom, Harry threw on a shirt and began searching for his teleporter.

_Hopefully he'll scream. Oh I do love it when they scream._

It was at this point that Harry had a moment of self reflection. While he understood just how deep his anger ran and that unadulterated jealousy was fueling it, the fact still remained that his thoughts were making him regress. Back into the person that had caused so much inner turmoil and agony toward himself. Were he to continue on that path, the end result might be worse than the beginning.

_I am not getting a conscience now, dammit!_

Kicking over piles of his books, Harry slammed himself backward into the wall, clawing at his hair. Along with this new man, came a new way of thinking. It would have been way too easy for him to just allow vengeance to overthrow him. That's what had led him not only to his downfall, but set up a deadly executioner in his head. Right now, despite all of the murderous thoughts that raged a hundred miles a minute in his head, Harry forced himself to calm down.

_How could she be marrying him?_

Harry was concerned to find himself thinking this with reluctant sorrow. Oh he knew this was going to happen, were he to become attached to Donna.

_I'm not letting him have her. First the Doctor, now the freak. There will be hell to pay if he even thinks about laying a finger on her._

Despite the intensity of the thought, it was the only rational thing that managed to plant itself in his mind. Perhaps he wouldn't tear apart the freak in front of an audience. He'd steal Donna, then tear apart the freak in front of an audience.

_Oh I am going to fight for her, no question about it. I may fight viciously or unfairly, but there is no way I am going to allow the freak to marry her. Allow, as if it were an option._

Laughing in a way not quite right, Harry took in his torn apart room.

_All this trouble for one woman._

Immediately, he knew the thought to be deeper than stated. Donna wasn't just a woman and things between them weren't as nearly one dimensional as he thought.

And for the first time since the mysterious woman had graced him with her presence, Harry felt himself pondering on just how important Donna was to the future version of him. Important enough to reorder time and Donna's time line.

_What had she said? Donna died in the future. And if I couldn't have her then, all options had to have narrowed down to meeting her earlier in my past. _

Harry wasn't quite sure how to feel about having this time interference thrust upon him at first. It almost felt like a duty, rather than a process. But, he came to understand just exactly why his future self would have risked everything to veer her into his life. And he into hers. There was something truly special about her and instead of fearing this new man he was becoming, Donna had made it easier. She'd made it tolerable and an act of willingness, rather than force.

That, he reckoned, had to stand for something. Despite all the bad he'd done in his life, all those he'd killed, everyone he'd hurt, every dream, destiny, or life he'd destroyed, being around the redhead seemed to make none of that matter. Certainly not hurt him as much now that he was consciously thinking about them.

_I'm not just going to stand by and let her get married. _

Despite this slowly shifting personality, his whole body cried in relief at the thought of torturing the freak. Even just for a little bit.

_Focus on the more important thing. _

Renewing his search for the teleporter, Harry shot out another lightning bolt. Not only had she taken his teleporter, but her underwear that he had stolen, were gone too. She'd stolen them back. Although, they were hers in the first place so he believed her to have only taken back what was rightfully hers.

And that was when the idea hit him.

_Taking back what's rightfully mine. Oh Donna, I hope you listened good to what I said last night. Today, I'm going to prove to you just how rightfully mine you are._

Pushing his way past the ruble, Harry found himself leaving his house. Out on the deserted street, he searched out a car or cab. He knew just exactly where Cross Corner Hill was. He'd happily thrown one of his competitors into the bay and watched him drown there back when he was running for prime minister.

_Ah, good times._

Crouching into a kneeling position, Harry observed the desolate area in front of him. Then, with careful precision because it'd been a long time since he last did this, the Time Lord sprinted forward. It only took the first few seconds for him to lift himself up into the air and locate his destination.

Landing firmly on his feet a few minutes later, Harry noted his place being in central London. Unfortunately, he was short of breath from the act. Over the years, abilities like which he had acquired after his resurrection, only seemed to drain him whenever he used them. The same thing went for his jumping. The more often he did it, the worse impact it had on his system.

_Guess I'm doing this the old fashion way._

Hailing down a cab, Harry threw himself inside the car and yelled the location with a slight edge in his voice. Enough of an edge however, to let the driver know that he had better listen to the man or else.

"Okay, okay. Calm down mate."

Harry met the man's annoyed eyes with his own steel brown ones.

"If you don't start driving this second, your body is going to be found in the Thames tomorrow morning. And that, "mate", isn't something I'm kidding about. Now drive for Rassilon's sake!"

With the frightening presence behind him, the driver sped off as quick as he could to Cross Corner Hill.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you're thinking in a review :D!<strong>


	35. Wedding For the Ages

**So I've been a bad author and neglected this chapter for awhile. But, it's finally here. If anyone is curious, I spent my time going to see Fright Night for the David Tennant. I've got to admit that there was something incredibly appealing about watching him grope himself without a shirt, in leather pants :D! Anywho, I got inspired from the movie funnily enough by Colin's character and have started a fanfic for the movie. It's ridiculous since I promised myself I wouldn't do anymore stories after this one, especially with the school year approaching so soon. Ah well. Thank you for the reviews and as always, enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Wedding For the Ages<strong>

"Doctor, where are you going?" Jack quickly asked, standing still with a large grin on his face as the music began to start up.

In only minutes, Donna would be walking down the aisle and their fake wedding would begin.

The Doctor however, had left Jack's side suddenly and was on his way down the aisle, heading toward the back end of the sitting guests.

Right before he left, he managed to mutter, "Something's coming."

Before Jack could ask him what, the Doctor was gone from his side and Ianto stepped up in his place.

No one in the crowd found it odd that one of the best men just disappeared for at that same time, Donna appeared at the back of the aisle.

Sharp gasps and envious muttering circulated like wildfire as Donna's graceful form was presented. Her beautifully done up hair with crisp, sun kissed flames of hair, hung loosely on each side of her face. The sun above, reflected endearingly off her pale skin, giving to it a heavenly shine. Wrapped around her delicately was Maddy's mother's wedding dress. Beautiful, intricate designs made of silky crystalline shaped her body gently within the form fitting dress. A white oleander resided peacefully in her hair, showing Belinda's precise and perfect work.

Walking down the aisle in anxious anticipation, Donna attempted to smile as she and Wilf proceeded forward. The Doctor had passed her without a word only seconds previously, a firm expression on his face that she couldn't make out. That in itself, heightened her nerves. Then once everybody's eyes turned toward her, it seemed like her head decided to become dizzy.

_One step at a time. C'mon, we're not going to bloody trip on my wedding day._

Sensing his granddaughter's trepidation, Wilf shifted his strides. His walk turned more confident and led Donna, instead of her taking shaky steps. He didn't know what was wrong, but his job was to get her to the altar and there was nothing that could stop him from his task.

Meanwhile, the Doctor entered the Cross Corner reception hall, only a few yards from the wedding itself, and searched the abandoned building. He'd felt the other Time Lord's rage and could only too accurately guess as to what the cause of it was. The Master had found out about the wedding.

For Jack's sake, and perhaps all of the wedding guest's, the Doctor left in hopes of stopping the Master's progress. There was no doubt in his mind anymore about what the Master felt for his former companion. No doubts, no lingering, no hesitations.

What was on the Doctor's mind, however, was making sure that the Master didn't kill Jack. Not only would it hurt the time agent, but 100 human minds would witness the act and then Jack's resurrection, if Jack decided to retaliate. Which most likely, he would.

The Master had a way of pushing people, making them act in their worst way possible. It seemed though, that Donna was immune to this. And the Master trusted her around himself. Incredibly evident since he'd given Donna his real name.

Briefly, the Doctor's ears perked up at the shuffling of feet to the left of him. Searching the area, the Doctor walked near the restrooms, keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

In the distance, he could hear the instruments cease, indicating that Donna had made it to the altar. Only silence filled the hall.

"Looking for me?"

It was said so swiftly and menacingly that the Doctor barely had a chance to turn around before being thrown headfirst into the wall in front of him.

On impact, his head bruised as he felt himself being spun around and punched in the nose, head cracking back again on the concrete wall. Blood dripped onto the Doctor's tie as his neck recognized a hand pressing down on it, leaving him little oxygen to bring through his lungs.

Pinned to the wall by the Master's hand on his neck, the Doctor attempted to mutter out something, but the other Time Lord only pressed down more insistently.

Harsh breaths flew from both men's lips, the Doctor's eyes pleading with the Master's angry ones to let him say something.

"You know how I feel about her."

The Master said this affirmatively, tightening his hold on the Doctor's neck without mercy.

Struggling to say something, his access was denied as his breaths began to fall short of reaching his lips. Without any progress, the Doctor's hands attempted to peel the Master's grip off him.

"You know how I feel about her, yes?"

This time, the Master loosened his grip half an inch, his expression less murderous.

"Of course," the Doctor sputtered out, another dribble of blood crawling down his chin.

Searching the Doctor's eyes, the Master released him after a minute, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

The Doctor fell to the floor, gasping in oxygen.

"And you didn't tell me that she was marrying the freak because?"

Even from below, the Doctor could sense the dangerous undertone in the question. Were he to answer it wrong, could doom not only his life, but everyone elses.

"She's not."

Pausing in his tracks, the Master curiously glanced down at the Doctor.

"I'm not an idiot. I saw the invitation."

Picking himself up, the Doctor faced the Master, wiping off the rest of the blood on his face.

"It's a fake wedding. Donna had a boyfriend that she didn't have the guts to break up with because she didn't love him. So, she pretended to be engaged to Jack. Well, that was fine until her boyfriend insisted on coming to the wedding. A week and one day later, here we are," the Doctor gestured, studying his friend hesitantly.

Shaking his head, the blond resumed his pacing.

"Not able to break someone's heart. She's too good for me, isn't she Doctor?"

Momentarily stunned, the Doctor took his time upon answering the question. He was more interested in the man standing before him. Calling him the Master almost seemed rash, even though only seconds before, the very same man nearly strangled him to death. Still, Donna's impact on the blond was as clear as the freckle on the inside of his thumb.

Once relaxed from his violent posture, the Master almost seemed at ease. Not quite complacent, but not menacing either. No smirk or furious grimace littered his lips, instead his mouth settling on a thoughtful ponder. Even the way he walked back and forth, showed his change. There was no demented burden in his step, nor vengeful insanity, at least not completely.

"She's just right for you," the Doctor found himself saying, silently hoping that he was doing the right thing.

When the Master's eyes lit up despite the same frown on his face, the Doctor knew he was.

"Interesting. A few years ago and you would have killed yourself before you ever let me touch one of your companions. How things have truly changed," he pondered, kneeling next to the Doctor.

"I'm not the only one," the Doctor meaningfully remarked, pushing himself up to sit.

The Master laughed softly, shaking his head as he ran another shaky hand through his hair.

"I felt it happening even before she came into my life. When Rassilon bragged of how the drums were put into my head in the first place, was when it really started. Imagine Doctor, believing the Time Lords to be the greatest race ever conceived. No other species stronger, no other species more powerful. And then finding out like some disappointed little school boy, that the great and mighty Time Lords weren't really great and mighty at all. What is a lonely madman to do?"

Feeling a slight tremor move through him, the Doctor waited patiently until the Master's eyes met his. It had been so long since a conversation this important had taken place. Knowing that these next few minutes would be essential, the Doctor attempted to answer to the best of his ability.

"Live. You've got to live."

Venturing a glance toward the door of the reception hall, the Master met the Doctor's eyes with a smirk.

"I don't know that everybody out there will live if I decide to make my feelings known."

"Would you ever hurt Donna?"

"Of course not."

The Master said this with a slight irritation, as if the Doctor himself was suggesting the act.

"Then make your feelings known to her, and not the people."

Sighing, the Master stood up. In his black sweatshirt and black pants, he looked more like the grim reaper then a man. Still, he knew that the Doctor was right. It was quite literally, now or never because even though it was a fake wedding, it didn't mean that he was going to let Donna into the freak's arms willingly.

_The Doctor being right. Now that's a first._

"Give me your jacket," the Master ordered, throwing off his sweatshirt hastily.

The Doctor shook out of his tuxedo jacket and handed it to the Master who paired it with his white shirt underneath.

"You'll look half presentable," the Doctor noted with a grin.

Scowling, the Master gave the Doctor a pointed look when his eyes scanned over his pink tie.

"Pink was never your color, Doctor. If I remember correctly, it was the same color your husband wore on her wedding day," he answered back.

This time, the Doctor's cheeks turned the same color as his tie. He had nearly forgotten that the Master had been present at his wedding to the princess who really wasn't a princess at all.

"You promised to never mention that," he muttered in embarrassment.

"No matter how chummy we become," the Master promised, "I'm not going to turn down the opportunities to humiliate you."

Nodding his head with acceptance, the Doctor ventured one last glance to the Master who looked apprehensive all of a sudden.

"Do I need to even remind you what happens if you hurt her?"

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Doctor. I care about her far more than you could ever imagine. And I've reluctantly discovered...that I don't mind."

"Good," the Doctor announced, "go get her then."

Shifting on his feet, the Master walked to the doors and quietly opened them up.

The light blinded him at first, until the green scenery met his eyes. Twenty feet in front of him, the last row of chairs began on each side as everybody's focus was glued to Donna and Jack.

"Maybe I'll just wait until after the wedding," the Master uncharacteristically commented.

Unable to believe what he was hearing, the Doctor leaned into the Master's ear and said, "Did I mention that there's going to be a honeymoon?"

It was with those words that the Master remembered himself and began a determined approach up the aisle.

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Upon arriving to the altar, Donna felt her confidence return as Jack's stunned eyes met hers.

Her eyebrows shot up as she gave him a quick wink as if to say 'are you impressed?'.

Wilf kissed his granddaughter on the cheek, squeezed her hand affectionately and then took his place by Sylvia at the front row as Jack looped his arm through hers. The immediate warmth wasn't lost on either of them as their heads turned forward and listened intently to the minister's beginning words.

_I can't believe I'm doing it. Two weeks ago and I would have never have imagined this. _

Meeting Martha's eyes on her way to the altar, only proceeded to send a triumphant burst in her. Even though the act about to be performed wasn't real, didn't mean that Donna was any less happy. She had a gorgeous bloke attached to her, her family and friends seated behind her, and the undertone of love all around. It was quite literally, magic.

However, about ten minutes into the procedure as she faced Jack, ready to proclaim her vows, Donna noticed something incredibly strange. So strange, in fact, that she'd mispronounced the first word in her proclamation as a result.

"Sorry," Donna mumbled with a laugh, feeling strength through Jack's hands.

Charles only nodded, imploring her to continue.

As Donna went over her written words, she once again thought of the wedding. As of yet, the minister had spoken every word clearly and loudly. While this certainly added in the effect of believability, it also made her a tad nervous. In fact, the more she went into her vows, the faster her mind began to work.

And let me tell you, saying your wedding vows and thinking about the complete opposite thing is something quite difficult to do.

But, Donna managed and the deeper she pondered, the more anxious she grew.

_Belinda hadn't known that it was a fake wedding._

Finishing her vows, Jack then began his with a smile.

_Most of the curators have been rushing about like it was a real wedding._

Some female guests grew teary eyed at Jack's proclamation, silently wishing that they were in Donna's heels.

_Mum would never...she knows that this is..._

As nonchalantly as she could, Donna moved her head an inch. Her mother was watching them with tears in her eyes, her hands clutching a tissue.

_Why would she get so teary eyed when she knows that this is a -._

When understanding hit Donna, a thousand shivers broke out inside her.

_Mum wouldn't. There is absolutely no way that-._

Watching Sylvia's eyes, Donna noted the semi determined look inside of them. Those eyes weren't just that of a person watching a fake wedding. There was too much emotion in her eyes. Too much happiness.

_Oh my god. _

Her hands tightened noticeably on Jack's, but he mistook it for excitement rather than fear.

The only thing that was stopping her from exploding in rage was the fact that Shaun was sitting in the front row, idly minding his own business and watching a wedding in progress. This whole marriage was for him and stopping right now just to tell him that the marriage wasn't supposed to be real, would only cause everyone to freak out and wonder why the bride was mean enough to put poor Shaun through that.

_I have to go through with this. My god, I'm actually marrying Jack. _

Glancing once more toward the guests, Donna found her mum's eyes and glared as firmly as she could. Within that glare, betrayal and fury was incredibly evident, as well as panic.

Catching her daughter's glare, Sylvia felt a stab of guilt hit her. Donna knew what was going on. Still, in the end, Donna would see that it was in her own best interest to have a man like Jack as her husband.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"If anybody has any objections as to why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Charles's proclamation was nearly deafening to Donna's ears. She'd calmed down awhile ago, but the weight on her heart was getting more prominent. She loved Jack dearly, but not like that. Getting a divorce was never something she wanted to do, much less pay for. And with her mum being the one to have planned the wedding, there was no doubt in Donna's mind that she wouldn't pay for legal separation.

It was completely unfair in a way. Having her memories returned to her, finding a bloke that she loved, because yes, in a circumstance like this, admitting that she loved Harry was so obviously clear that she didn't know why she hadn't realized it earlier, and then having all of that crashing down and compacted into a wedding that turned out to be much more real than Donna could have ever guessed. It was dramatic irony at its best.

The minister allowed another minute to slowly pass by, but the guests remained silent.

Some of the guests near the back however, had their eyes torn away from Donna and Jack's bodies, instead to absorb the strange man that was making his way down the aisle. He walked with authority which made some of the men jealous, and the women envious. Not entirely unattractive, his blond hair suited his brown eyes that were stuck on Donna Noble's form.

Quicklier, his pace increased as more guests on each side of him, turned their bodies toward the middle to witness this odd man who had suddenly appeared with no explanation.

Only when Donna heard the break out in voices behind her, did she allow her grip to loosen on Jack's.

Glancing up at the minister, Donna noticed his gaze fall behind her.

"Can I do something for you, sir?" Charles asked.

Jack turned around beside her, rolling his eyes at who was standing there.

Donna stayed still however, unsure of what to do.

"Yes," the man answered. "I object."

Like an ocean wave, the guests of the wedding suddenly were overcome with shock. Murmurs and incredibly confused sounds appeared on each side of the seats as Donna spun her head around and took in none other than Harry Saxon.

"Hello, love," he said to Donna, waving his hand as his smirk increased at the outrage spilling out behind him.

Some guests didn't quite know what was going on. They were intrigued certainly, but completely clueless as to who this man was.

Martha, who noticed the Master walking down the aisle right away, silently prayed to herself that her mum didn't recognize who it was. It was bad enough that he haunted her dreams with his actions, but her mother truly and quite honestly still hated the man.

Jack nearly groaned in aggravation. It was bad enough that he'd tried to make Donna see reason and not trust the Master. But, he just had to appear and completely turn all of his efforts into nothing but a waste.

Joan, who gawked in silence at the man, was shivering in silent triumph.

"I told you he was in love with her," Joan whispered excitedly to a shocked Stacy beside her.

Wilf didn't quite know what to think. He hadn't really paid attention to the Master's progression of emotions as of late, so concerned with what to take with him for his trip to Taberu. However, he didn't miss the slight spark that appeared in Donna's eye as soon as she turned around and saw him.

Sylvia beside him, was fearful and put out at the same time. Fearful because it was painfully clear that Donna had some sort of attachment to the evil man. Put out because the wedding wasn't going to go through. She'd put so much time and money into it, and she honestly thought that they were good for each other.

As clearly witnessed, not all reactions were positive to this appearance.

Martha's mother recognized the voice in a heartbeat, gripping Mickey's arm next to her in pure fear. Mickey beside her didn't quite understand the relationship between the Master and Donna, so he ended up sharing the same trepidation that Martha's mother did.

At the very back of the aisle, the Doctor stood near a tree outside the reception hall. There was a slight shade that blocked his presence from those sitting ahead of him. All he did was smile at the actions ahead of him.

"You knew this was going to happen the whole time, didn't you?" the Doctor asked, turning his head to study the figure beside him eagerly.

"Yes," Ood Rho replied.

Laughing, the Doctor shook his head.

"Brilliant."

With that, he loosened his tie and sighed at the freedom, knowing that there would be no wedding from here on.

"Remind me to never wear a tie again," the Doctor noted uncomfortably, throwing the blood soaked pink into a nearby basket.

Ood Rho beside him, met his eyes curiously.

Slowly, he raised his hands to his own neck and began loosening the garb that circled it.

"Hold out your hand, Doctor," Ood Rho commanded softly.

Holding out his hand, the Doctor watched Ood Rho place the soft object into his hand.

"What's this for?" the Doctor grinned, studying the maroon bow tie.

"You soon may find a day where this could possibly become more comfortable upon your own neck," Ood Rho stated.

And with that cryptic message, Ood Rho studied the scene ahead of him once more before disappearing.

"Right," the Doctor announced, studying the bowtie before placing it in his pocket.

There is one person who was accurately surprised at the man's sudden appearance, and that man was Shaun who watched the scene in confusion and stunned fascination.

"What are you doing here?" Donna spoke, taking in his form.

The crowd hushed at her words.

"I object," he repeated once more with a grin.

"Yeah?" Donna questioned, "well I objected to you kidnapping me. Didn't do much good, did it?"

Sighing, Harry took another step toward the couple.

"You can never just have a decent conversation with me, can you?"

"In order for that to happen, you'd have to be a decent person."

She looked pointedly at him, but Harry noticed the small grin that was threatening to surface.

"Well I'm not going to let you get married to a freak. Talk about a downgrade."

Audible gasps erupted around him as Jack's grip on Donna's arm tightened momentarily.

"Oi, at least he doesn't greet me by throwing me up against a wall. Bloody caveman."

Joan chuckled beside her, amused at the proceedings.

"Can you honestly tell me that you don't enjoy what I do to you afterward?" he asked in assurance.

Another gasp made its way around the audience that was watching the two intently.

"You are so bloody thickheaded! I am not just some woman you can push around and call yours just to make a point."

With this statement, she released her arm from Jack's and took a few steps toward Harry in anger.

"Firstly, my head is fine the way it is, thank you. Secondly, you most certainly are mine, no matter what anyone else tries to prove, or," Harry acknowledged, looking at Jack in disgust, "say. And thirdly, I didn't show up here because I wanted a quick shag...not that I wouldn't mind one right now. Which brings me to the point, you left me again last night. Do I have to chain to my bed?"

Stacy choked on her gum at the question as the rest of the guests let their overactive imaginations run wild.

"You chain me to anything, sunshine, and I promise you that the police will be the last of your worries."

Harry threw up his hands in protest.

"Alright. But you never answered my question."

"I had to get to the wedding!"

"You didn't HAVE to."

"Yes, I did."

"Technically not."

"Technically yes."

"You could have stayed."

Donna detected an abnormal sadness in his statement, that was covered up so quickly she doubted anyone else heard it.

"I had to get married."

"Why?"

"Because."

Laughing, Harry glanced up at the sky in aggravation.

"I thought I made my feelings to you rather clear last night."

He lowered his head and met her eyes, struggling to make her see something that was very much there.

"You did."

"But you still left?" Harry asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Yes."

"You don't like me?"

"What are we in grade school? C'mon you poof, you know I like you."

"Good," Harry stated as if confirming it to himself and the spellbound audience. "But despite you liking me, you still left. Is it because you don't care about me?"

Rolling her eyes, Donna shuffled forward confidently.

"You know I care about you. You're still alive because I care about you."

"Okay," Harry noted, nodding his head as he took the remaining steps forward. "So you left me because you don't love me?"

Absolute silence surrounded the outside guests as the question was thrown out into the air. Donna didn't have an immediate answer for it, despite the people who looked on in honest wonder.

"I can't answer that," she finally stated, feeling her nerves creep up all of a sudden.

"Blimey," Harry shouted, "Donna Noble, you are one difficult woman to love!"

The guests sitting, broke out in whispers at the word love as Donna stared wide eyed at Harry.

"You don't...you-."

"Of bloody course I do," Harry exclaimed, backing up some as he flung his hands through his hair in exasparation. A half mad, half broken chuckle broke through him.

"Oh," Donna announced, throwing a hand over her open mouth.

Silence once again overtook the wedding, the guests studying the two individuals intensely.

Then without any warning, Donna began laughing. It started out in light giggles at first, then eventually progressed into louder chortles. Eventually, her lungs began expelling too much oxygen and tears appeared in her eyes as Donna clutched on to her sides.

Certain guests such as Martha, Jack, and the Doctor held their breath in anticipation. Laughing at something the Master had said, especially with such important impact as him declaring his feelings for her, set each of them on edge.

Other guests that included Stacy, Cady, and Joan, were watching in admiration. There was no denying how real each individual felt for each other.

Harry's eyes darkened, taking three dangerous steps toward Donna before settling himself right in front of her.

"What?" he gritted out through his teeth.

Donna took in his form and struggled to wipe out the tears from her eyes as she eventually got her laughing under control.

"Ab-," Donna giggled. "About bloody time!"

Before Harry's face could contort into confusion, Donna launched herself at him and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

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><p><strong>So I ended it a bit romantically, but hey, these two deserve happiness with everything I put them through. Maybe 2 more chapters left, definitely no more. Let me know what you're thinking in a review :).<strong>


	36. Epilogue

**Last and final chapter! Do you guys want to know a fun fact? From the very first chapter, I knew I wanted it to be a Harry/Donna story. I got inspired by one scene in particular during the End of Time which made me think 'I wonder what would happen if...?'. That scene was when Wilf and the Doctor were tied up and the Master was once again ruler of Earth with his Master Race. Then all of a sudden, Wilf's cell rang and when the Master asked who that was and then picked it up to have Donna talking to him (even though she thought it was Wilf)...well, that just made my fanfiction blood fly sky high. Imagine if that scene had never happened...this story would never have been written. Perhaps that's a relieving thought for some of you. Anyway, enjoy this final chapter of a story that I had a hell of a time writing. And once again, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

"So how'd your mum take it?" the Doctor asked, seating himself beside the redhead.

Donna stared out into Tegan Bay wistfully, watching the pale blue sky shifting into a navy as the sun retreated for the final time that day.

"As well as one can take it when their daughter admits to loving an evil alien who's sole purpose once was to enslave and torture the human race."

"Not so good then," the Doctor noted.

Sighing, Donna nodded her head. She was still in her wedding dress at eight o clock that evening, despite the wedding having been halted six hours ago.

"Martha was worse. I could tell she was trying so hard not to get sick around Harry's presence. Even when she wished us luck. Apparently her mum had rushed out as soon as the wedding stopped, cursing me and Harry."

The Doctor watched the clouds for a silent minute, allowing the information to absorb.

Finally, he said, "Martha will come around."

"And Jack? He left with Gwen and Ianto as soon as I kissed Harry."

"Especially Jack. He loves you too much to keep you out of his life forever."

"I suppose," Donna observed.

"Look at the bright side. I'm here for you."

"Doctor, I want you and gramps to go. It's completely fine, really."

"Donna-."

"Please. Since mum's kicked me out, I can stay at Joan's. She'd bloody love that considering she nearly pounced on me after realizing she was right all along. Same goes for Cady or Stacy."

"Are you su-."

"Yes. I've held up my gramp's progress long enough."

Still looking like he wanted to argue, Donna hushed his arguments with a sturdy glare.

"I'm sorry this couldn't have ended better for you," the Doctor remarked after a few minutes.

Tilting her head up, Donna observed the stars appearing like tiny, milky eyes.

"Not all bad. Shaun believed the whole thing. Even gave me his blessing," Donna replied.

"Ood Rho was here."

"Was he really? Cheeky bastard, knowing what was going to happen all along."

Laughing, the Doctor scooted closer to Donna and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The evening air had quickly turned cooler, forcing the redhead to absorb the heat coming from the man next to her.

"I guess," Donna started, "I wasn't expecting exactly a warm reception. I mean they all know Harry's reputation. I wasn't even thinking about how people would react. I never imagined all of this."

"Are you happy?"

Turning her head to face the Doctor, Donna smiled immediately.

"More than I ever thought I would be. That should scare me. All the things that have made me happy in life, usually disappear. But this won't. It feels...I dunno...right in a way."

Silently agreeing, the Doctor also studied the stars above them.

"Then that's all that matters."

DNMDNMDNMDNM

Harry had just gotten out of the bathroom in the Cross Corner reception hall when he felt two arms slam him harshly into the wall behind him. The need to retaliate and make the person suffer was overwhelming, but as soon as he saw who it was, Harry decided against it. No need to spend his energy on someone not worth his time.

"If you so much as hurt Donna, I will hunt you down, torture and kill you," Jack promised, tightening his balled fists into Harry's shirt.

"Why does everybody assume that I'm going to hurt her?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Don't give me any of that shit. I swear on all of my lives that hurting her will be the last thing you will ever do in your life."

Rolling his eyes, Harry merely let out a bored yawn.

"I'm not joking."

"Of course not, freak. But did you ever stop to think in that overinflated head of yours that I'm just as susceptible to that same hurt?"

"And it still wouldn't be nearly enough pain I'd want inflicted on you."

"Such fury for someone who throws away lovers like a stack of cards."

Jack pushed Harry further into the wall, which only elicited a laugh from the blond man.

"Calm down _Jack_," Harry smirked.

"I could take Donna away from you," Jack stated, snapping his fingers, "just like that."

Before he knew what had happened, Jack found himself being shoved into the wall violently, his head ringing at the contact as Harry placed his hand firmly yet steadily over his neck. His eyes had reduced into two harsh brown slits as his mouth fell back into a vicious sneer.

"Just you try and take her from me," Harry threatened in an abnormally soft tone.

Fighting back the nervous gulp that wanted to descend down his throat, Jack only stared back angrily, trying not to show his sudden trepidation.

"See you really are just as stupid as you look. Donna is mine. Oh but she won't admit it, certainly will hit me if I try to prove it. But nevertheless, she _is _mine. I have gone through too many things over a nefarious amount of centuries to finally have this. And if you try to do something as idiotic as take her from me...well," Harry laughed without any humor, suddenly tightening his hand into an iron grip around Jack's neck, "you'd think that me becoming prime minister was a walk in the park."

"Harry?"

Donna's voice carried its way through the hall clearly as Jack's eyes flickered behind Harry in panic.

"Did I make myself clear?" Harry quietly asked, not relinquishing his grip an inch.

"Painfully," Jack sputtered with hate.

"Good," Harry charmingly expressed, patting Jack's cheek twice before removing his hand from his throat.

Jack keeled over for a second, coughing in the sudden rush of air as Harry left the time agent, whistling under his breath.

"Donna," Harry acknowledged, watching her enter with the Doctor in tow.

"Jack?" Donna questioned, her eyes flashing toward the bent over man behind Harry.

"He was just leaving," said Harry, turning his head toward Jack with an expectant rise of the eyebrows.

Shaking his head bitterly, Jack shared a brief look with Donna before departing.

When Donna caught the look, she knew just what he was trying to convey. That even though things seemed like they were going her way and that Harry was changing, it wasn't her place to fully trust him. She understood even now, Jack's hesitance. But another part really couldn't wait to build this new chapter in her life, despite the lack of support garnered from her friends and family.

"Right, well I'll just be leaving you two," the Doctor announced, winking at Donna.

"Good luck, Spaceman," Donna remarked.

"And you, Earthgirl," he saluted back.

Chuckling, Donna watched his retreating form in mirth.

"Daft as a duck, he is. But I suppose that's what's so appealing about him."

"Appealing in what way?"

Catching the seriousness in his voice, Donna snorted.

"Are you always going to be this jealous?"

Harry didn't even think before answering.

"Yes."

Nodding her head, Donna met his eyes carefully.

"Anything else I should know before I go past the point of no return?"

Smiling, Harry sauntered over to Donna, his eyes alight with something that had been vacant from him for so long.

"I think you've been in the point of no return from the moment you first met me. But, there is another thing."

Donna crossed her arms expectantly, fighting the smile on her lips.

"You've got a tentacle," she guessed.

"Had it removed three centuries ago."

Gasping, Donna scrunched up her face in disgust.

"You're joking."

"Fortunately," Harry stated. "But keep guessing."

"You're father was an Ood."

"What?"

"Well the complexion and all..."

If a Time Lord could look offended, none of them could beat Harry's disgruntled features.

"_No_."

"Blimey, you're going to make me guess all night?"

"It's not the type of thing that I'd assume you'd have to guess. Hopefully, you'd already know it."

Studying his suddenly apprehensive form, Donna rolled her eyes.

"You really have a strange way of letting me know you love me."

"Are you that surprised?"

"Not entirely. Just as long as you cut out the kidnapping."

"Even if you try and leave me?"

When the statement left Harry's lips, Donna felt a slight shiver go through her.

"You shouldn't worry about that. The universe has a strange way of putting people back together."

Laughing in embarrassment, Harry scratched the back of his head.

"I've got to work on that possessive thing."

"At least you care enough to be possessive," Donna pointed out.

A bout of silence passed between them as Harry's eyes raked over Donna.

"So tell me, where do we go from here?"

"Hmm...," Donna pondered, tapping her chin, "I don't quite know. But all that matters is that we're going together."

"What cheesy Lifetime movie did you get that from?"

Blushing, Donna hotly retorted, "Do you have something better to say?"

"Of course," Harry assured.

Taking her hands into his, he pressed his forehead up to hers and closed his eyes. For the next thirty seconds, Harry allowed his mind to wander. To think of the impact that the woman across from him had left. To think of the possibilities that his life had suddenly offered him. To think that he wouldn't be alone in mind or in spirit. To share that with someone who lit his soul unlike any other.

"I'm waiting," Donna sing songed.

Grinning, Harry opened his eyes in triumph. Leaning in, he softly brushed his lips over hers. Never touching, simply pulling within inches of her own before receding.

"Donna."

He said this breathlessly, pulling her form to his.

"Yeah?"

Her eyes fluttered as his hands rested on her back.

"I-"

"Yes?" Donna sighed, tangling her hands in his unruly blond hair.

"I want to show you something," he announced with dark eyes, suddenly pulling back.

Opening her eyes, Donna bit down her disappointment and allowed Harry to grab on to her hand. With a renewed pace, the Time Lord began running with Donna attached to his arm.

At first, Donna simply ran for the sake of catching up. After awhile however, she allowed Harry to drag her along to wherever it was that they were going.

"What are you doing?" she breathed out into the chill night air as Harry slowed down and reached into his pocket.

"I want to show you something," he repeated, pulling out a teleporter.

At her questioning stare, Harry replied, "I stole it from the fre-Jack, when he wasn't paying attention."

"He's going to be angry."

"I know," Harry admitted with a grin.

Feeling a stab of guilt for Jack, Donna braced herself as Harry pressed down on the teleporter.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"Where are we?"

The setting was unfamiliar to the redhead, but the room was most definitely posh. A dark purple color was on all of the walls as a language Donna had never seen before, lined some of the walls in black. Although the dark complexion of the room was at first foreboding, it still held a sense of home. There was a large black fireplace on one side of the room while another had a large, ebony bookcase that stretched across the whole wall. Filled to the brim were loads of books that had to have ranged in the thousands.

One window indicated to Donna that wherever they were, it was night outside.

"We're in the universe of Ogenta, approximately," Harry muttered, staring up at the ceiling, "one hundred thousand light years from your universe."

"I don't see a dungeon anywhere."

Laughing, Harry took a hold of Donna's hand.

"I take you to a different universe and you automatically assume I'm going to show you a dungeon?"

"Oi, remember your reputation mate?"

"Fair enough."

Studying Harry, Donna patiently sighed.

"What planet are we on?"

"Ivy."

"Beautiful name."

"It's got quite a history. There was a race of aliens called the Plosh that helped rule a handful of planets in this section of the universe. Silly name, but they were incredibly intelligent for their kind. The leader of the Plosh fell in love with an alien from a different race and named this planet after her."

"Hell of a gift."

"Hell of a couple. I remember hearing the story as a child, hoping that one day I'd understand why someone would give someone else a planet. Of course that was a very short lived thought and all but disappeared as I faced regeneration after regeneration. However," Harry stated, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "within this past week, my naive question came back to me. Why indeed would someone give an individual a planet? What would cause them to do so?"

Donna could only think of one reason, but she let Harry go on, knowing that he had a point to the story.

"The planet is all but abandoned now. A few regenerations ago, I purchased land here-."

"By purchase, you mean...?"

Glancing away, Harry didn't meet Donna's blue eyes at first.

"Right," Donna expressed, filling in the blanks.

While looking forward to the future, Donna had to remember that Harry had a past.

"Anyway, Ivy died in a war somewhere far away from here, near the center of Ogenta. The Plosh race soon joined her fate after promising to avenge the death. As most wars go, the end result didn't spare the heartache spread across the universe. The Plosh managed a great range of this universe and Ivy controlled this planet. While the universe may eventually have went on, without either race, Ivy withered. Money is nothing here and there is no structure. It is simply a place to go when you have nothing else."

"When was the last time you were here?"

"Oh," Harry pondered, taking a few steps back, "it's been lifetimes."

"And it's safe here?"

"One of the safest places I know of. It's a planet immobilized in time. Other races don't seek to destroy it because of its tragic history and scavengers stay away due to its tranquility."

"You've got good taste," Donna observed, taking in a large mahogany bed with maroon covers. "How come you didn't come here after you defeated the Time Lords?"

"This place might be tranquil, but the Doctor also knows about it," Harry admitted. "I assume this is one of the first places he looked. Plus, the last place the Doctor would look was Earth, assuming that he'd thought I'd go across the stars to try and escape him. It was a great hideout."

"How'd you figure that the Doctor was here?"

Donna followed Harry's eyes toward the bookshelf and took in the discarded banana peel.

"Of course," she grinned.

Finding her feet suddenly tired, Donna walked over to the bed, pressed down on the surface once with a cautious hand before sitting down, folding the wedding dress she was still wearing carefully under her.

Glancing up, the redhead held her breath as she watched Harry take short steps toward her.

"And why did you take me here?"

Stopping himself in place, Harry inquisitively searched the room once before setting his brown eyes on Donna.

"Because I finally understand why the Plosh gave Ivy this planet."

Harry studied the room once more after announcing this, seemingly in a faraway trance.

"It's a beautiful story," Donna expressed.

"Some tragedies make for the most beautiful stories," Harry admitted. "But to fully answer your question. I brought you here because somehow you have managed to work your way into my life and I have the strongest urge to keep you with me for the rest of time. Of course I hesitate talking about a long term relationship because of-."

"We'll talk about it later," she interrupted.

"Nonetheless," Harry continued, "this isn't just a place you go when you have nothing. It's a place you go when you have gained so much without even knowing it. And, I want to share it with you."

"What, this whole room?" Donna questioned, standing up.

"In all estimations, this is actually the smallest room in the whole...oh what would the human term for it be...mansion?"

"You want me to live in a mansion with you?"

"Don't sound so shocked. Personally, I can't stand being here alone. But with you, it feels like it finally has a purpose."

"But what about-?"

"I'll send you back to Earth anytime you want. You can even stay a majority of the time there. I just feel that you deserve more than just some beaten down house on a dirty street surrounded by a filthy race."

"Oi!"

"Also got to work on that being friendly thing," Harry mumbled to himself.

For a minute, Donna just stood in shock, taking in the room which was gigantic and alluring in it's complete entirety.

_And to think that this is only one room._

"This-I-different. This is definitely different."

"What is?"

"Being given something I don't feel like I deserve."

"That's ridiculous," Harry chided. "You've done so much already that I couldn't repay you with a million planets. Plus, we'll be all alone here most of the time. When I mentioned that this planet was immobilized in time, I also mean the beauty of it. It truly is a fantastic sight during the day."

"I can't quite believe what I'm hearing," Donna sputtered, beaming at her surroundings.

"Oh, but there is one rule."

"Yes?"

"Keep the whereabouts of this place only to yourself."

"Your secret place is safe with me."

"Good.

"Yeah, I suppose it is," Donna realized.

"First order of business however. I'm hungry."

Hearing this, Donna stood up and headed over toward the door. She was stopped however when she felt Harry's arm encircle her around her midsection. Pausing in her steps, Donna looked through her red bangs and tilted her head as if to say sarcastically say 'yes?'.

"Thought you were hungry," Donna noted, poking him in the chest.

"Oh no, I am," Harry agreed, taking her finger and sliding his warm hand around it.

"Well come on then," she argued.

Holding her still form in place, Harry leaned into Donna's ear and nearly whispered, "I haven't specified just exactly what I'm hungry for."

Meeting his eyes, Donna watched in sudden excitement as he pushed her gently on the bed and crawled over top of her with hands on each side of her.

Kissing a nerve just above her collarbone, Harry throatily growled, "Delicious."

Blowing out a sudden rush of air, Donna muttered, "This isn't going to be easy, me and you."

"I never expected it to be," he answered, kissing another nerve closer to her pulse.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm incredibly stubborn."

"If you haven't noticed, I find that incredibly sexy."

Ready to argue once more, Harry lifted his head and placed a finger on her lips.

"I'm sorry that your family and friends kicked you out, I really am. But, this wasn't their journey to make. They didn't stand with us the whole time or witness the changes that overtook us. This time interference was ours to do with as we wished and frankly, I'm more than happy with the result. There's no denying that we'll have arguments that will last far into three months or I'll become so possessive that I'll threaten to exterminate every male on Earth, but I suppose those are the kinds of things that are going to come with our love. There's no common normalcy in it, but I really could care less, just as long as you're here to experience it with me."

"So basically that's like Time Lord code for "bring it on"?"

"In a nutshell," he admitted, running his fingers over Donna's cheek once.

"Alright then," she breathed out, wrapping an arm around him. "I'm fine with that."

"Good."

"Great."

"Stellar."

"Fantastic."

"I love you."

Donna's breath stopped at his proclamation, her whole body firing up. Then, a massive grin enveloped her face and the redhead didn't think she'd ever felt anything as great or true in her life.

"You sure about that?" she asked in a slightly presumptious tone, feeling the prickliness on his cheek delve past her shoulder.

Lifting himself up suddenly, Harry studied the woman beneath him, his ears slightly red from his admission.

"You're a lot more appealing with your mouth closed," he mumbled back, then lunged back at her lips, wiping away her furious would be remark.

DNMDNMDNMDNM

"You're saying that if I step outside the Tardis, we're going to be on a different planet?" Wilf questioned in awe.

The Doctor tried not to smile too confidently, brushing an invisible dust particle off his brown suit.

"Well...," he couldn't help but boast, "take a look for yourself."

Wilf rushed to the doors of the Tardis and opened them with excited hands.

"Oh dear..."

"Isn't it wonderful, Wilf?" the Doctor sang, slamming a lever down.

"Um...Doctor?"

"The most beautiful and delightful place in this universe."

"Doctor?"

"Near the Viking Star."

"Doctor!"

"Hm?" the Doctor answered, turning around toward the doors.

His face paled at the sight that greeted him. His mouth opened and closed a few times, making him look like an overly depressed guppy. Attempting not to panic, the Doctor quickly glanced at the monitor which showed their position and era in time and space. Then, he turned back with an innocent smile.

"Doctor!" the figure standing outside of the Tardis stated angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "you left me at the altar! I thought you knew that our race was multi-gendered!"

Sensing trouble, Wilf hastily shut the door as the Doctor ran to the controls and swiftly started pressing buttons.

"Who was that?" Wilf asked with amusement.

"That was...well...that is...that's a long story," the Doctor babbled.

"And I'm guessing that happens a lot?" wondered Wilf, pointing a thumb at the door.

"All the time!" the Doctor exclaimed, beaming at the sound of the Tardis leaving.

Wilf's laughter filled the Tardis with delight. It was going to be an interesting adventure.

* * *

><p><strong>And there we go! Thank you so much everyone for taking this journey with me and the reviews helped so much that I can't even really put it into words. I'm going to quickly put down some reviewers that reviewed nearly every chapter or a continuous amount of time, helping me get this far. <strong>

**A huge thank you to : xiratania007, mericat, TheOnyxRose, FireFrenzy956, woolSmynx (even though you didn't get your wedding, sorry), Mary Matthesen, louiecat68, samuraiduck27, Lizzie9071, RosalieHalie1997, SuperIdole, and scarletphoenix3. Most of you guys have not only stuck with me since the beginning, but have given me LENGTHY reviews that I appreciated so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. And thank you to anyone else who maybe left only one review or two or three. Really, thank you all. If I ever win an Oscar, you will all be in my Oscar speech even if no one knows what I'm talking about...you guys will know!**

**If you'd like, leave me a final review on your thoughts because I love hearing them! Also, in this chapter I really wanted to stress the fact that even though Donna and Harry ended up together, the consequences were her family and friends lack of approval for her, which I think would be a bit accuarate (besides the Doctor). It's kind of like a complete switch from the beginning. Anywho, hope you enjoyed!**


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